#  New research: Balloon takes wildfire surveillance to the stratosphere  

 





August 01, 2025

 

 

- [ News ](/news-categories/news)
 
 

 

Researchers at Harvard University have lofted a sensor-packed balloon 15-20 kilometers above Earth to spot wildfires sooner and track their heat and smoke with unprecedented clarity.

The system is sharper and more persistent than standard satellites. In a trial over a controlled burn, the stratospheric platform measured fire radiative power and mapped smoke plumes, data that feed directly into climate and air-quality models.

Led by Frank Keutsch, the Stonington Professor of Engineering and Atmospheric Science, the team says the real-time imagery and forecasts could soon be relayed to vulnerable communities, providing earlier warnings and more accurate predictions as climate change drives ever-larger blazes.



 

*This research is supported with a seed grant from the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University.*



 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ Keutsch ](/news-and-events-faculty/keutsch)
- [ Faculty ](/news-event-type/faculty)
- [ Research ](/news-event-type/research)
 
 

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