CASTLE ROCK, Colorado — Instead of chasing stars or exploring new worlds, a growing number of innovators are launching satellites to protect our own Earth, in a new kind of “space race” to spot wildfires before they spread.

More than 50,000 wildfires burned across the U.S. this year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center, as the duration and intensity of fire seasons continue to grow. The expansion of what used to be a regional threat into a year-round crisis is stretching first responders, and budgets, dangerously thin.

New satellite networks under construction to ultimately scan the Earth in near real time offer firefighters faster alerts and better coordination, when every second counts.

“Wildfires are a big and growing challenge,” said Jonny Dyer, CEO and co-founder of M

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