NASA's Aqua satellite: Space debris evasions create blind spots in wildfire detection (xataka.com)

• Aqua's MODIS detects fires early via infrared heat signatures.
• At least 32 evasive maneuvers since 2005 due to debris.
• Fuel consumption shortens satellite lifespan; may fail within two years.

"NASA's Aqua satellite, equipped with the MODIS instrument, detects wildfires in their earliest stages. However, increasing space debris forces frequent evasive maneuvers, creating blind spots in fire maps and consuming fuel that shortens the satellite's lifespan. Since 2005, at least 32 such maneuvers have occurred. The ESA tracks over 50,000 debris objects, with smaller fragments numbering 1.2 million."