BAE Systems launches methane-detecting satellite
Multinational 
LONDON, March 6, 2024 – BAE Systems has successfully launched MethaneSAT, a satellite capable of detecting and quantifying methane emissions worldwide, the UK security and aerospace contractor announced on Monday.
The satellite will monitor emissions from the oil and gas sector, which currently accounts for about 40% of all human-caused methane emissions. It will offer high-precision mapping over a 200-square-kilometre field of view, complementing existing methane-monitoring satellites that focus on either larger scales or point sources.
Alberto Conti, vice-president and general manager of Civil Space for BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems, said, “MethaneSAT will advance our ability to identify and track emissions from their source, empowering stakeholders and the public with actionable data to enable reductions.”
BAE Systems worked alongside scientists from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and EDF subsidiary MethaneSAT, LLC, to design and build the primary instrument. Once commissioning is complete, EDF will launch a cloud-based platform in partnership with Google to distribute MethaneSAT data publicly and free of charge.
Image courtesy MethaneSAT
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