On 26 October 2026, the National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management (NILIM) announced that it would begin joint research with QPS Institute and Synspective aimed at rapidly assessing fire damage using small SAR satellites. The results are expected to support initial response and recovery efforts in large-scale fires.
The National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management (NILIM) announced that it had entered into a joint research agreement with QPS Institute, which operates small SAR satellites, and Synspective on 26 October 2026 to develop technology for detecting and assessing fire damage. The research will focus on technology for rapidly detecting damage from urban and forest fires, with the aim of accelerating assessment of the affected area after a disaster.
The small SAR satellites used in the joint research can observe the land surface even when optical observation is difficult, such as in smoke or at night, and can capture images regardless of the time of day or weather conditions. The study will examine a method for accurately identifying changes in the land surface by cross-referencing historical field survey data with SAR observation data.
NILIM plans to use the different data characteristics of QPS Institute’s QPS-SAR and Synspective’s StriX satellite systems, aiming to establish technology that combines data from both companies to support initial response and recovery efforts during large-scale disasters.
The results are expected to accelerate assessment of damage when fires spread across a wide area, improving the efficiency of on-site response and supporting recovery operations. Further developments are expected to be reported in due course.