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Key Points:
- About: MethaneSAT aims to identify and quantify global methane emissions, pinpointing sources and trends over time to aid in reducing emissions.
- Developed by: The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) developed MethaneSAT in collaboration with Harvard University, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and the New Zealand Space Agency.
- Functionality: Orbiting Earth 15 times daily, MethaneSAT will monitor the oil and gas sector, providing data on methane emissions, sources, and trends.
- Data Accessibility: Data will be public and free, enabling actions to reduce emissions.
- Features: MethaneSAT offers high-resolution data over large areas, detecting even small emission sources with a spectrometer and infrared sensor. It can distinguish methane concentration changes as small as three parts per billion.
- The advantage over Predecessors: Unlike previous satellites, MethaneSAT can scan wide areas (200 km²) and identify “super emitters,” filling critical data gaps.
About Methane:
- Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, contributing to 30% of global warming since the Industrial Revolution.
- It’s 80 times more potent than CO2 over 20 years. Cutting methane emissions, particularly from fossil fuel operations (40% of human-caused emissions), is crucial for climate goals.
