NAIROBI, Kenya- This Friday, a groundbreaking satellite will take to the skies aboard a SpaceX rocket, aiming to tackle one of the most potent greenhouse gasses—methane.
Backed by an impressive coalition that includes NASA and heavyweight philanthropists like former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, this satellite, Tanager-1, marks the first in a series designed to detect and help plug methane leaks from space.
The Tanager-1 satellite isn’t just another piece of space hardware; it’s a beacon of hope for environmentalists and climate scientists alike.
The mission is the brainchild of the Carbon Mapper Coalition, an alliance formed in 2021 with a singular purpose: to identify and reduce methane emissions on a global scale.
The coalition boasts an impressive lineup of partners, including NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Planet Labs, and Arizona State University.
On the financial front, it’s powered by philanthropic giants like Bloomberg Philanthropies, High Tide Foundation, and the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment.
This launch, set to occur aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-11 Rideshare mission from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base, represents a significant milestone.
With a 53-minute launch window starting at 11:20 a.m. local time, the event could be the start of a new era in climate monitoring.
Methane might not get as much attention as carbon dioxide, but it’s a climate menace of the highest order.
In its first 20 years in the atmosphere, methane is over 80 times more powerful than CO2.
What’s worse, “super-emitters”—facilities like oil refineries and landfills that spew more than 100 kilograms of methane per hour. Identifying these leaks is crucial, and that’s where Tanager-1 comes in.
Tanager-1 will use advanced NASA-developed technology to pinpoint methane leaks from individual facilities.
The goal is to provide polluting industries with the data they need to find and fix leaks. And in a win for transparency, all this data will be made available through a public online portal.
This move aligns with the growing momentum to act on climate, as highlighted by Richard Lawrence, founder of High Tide Foundation, who pointed out the significant gaps in current methane and CO2 monitoring efforts.
Tanager-1 is just the beginning. Carbon Mapper has ambitious plans to launch additional satellites that will monitor up to 90pc of the world’s large methane plumes daily.
This network will be crucial in the global effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the worst impacts of climate change.
As we stand on the brink of a new era in climate science, the significance of this mission cannot be overstated.
The data collected by these satellites could be the key to unlocking a more sustainable future, helping industries reduce their environmental footprint while providing the world with the information needed to tackle one of the most pressing challenges of our time.
