New satellite aims to hold super-polluters accountable

There’s about to be a new methane eye in the sky with SpaceX scheduled to launch the Tanager-1 satellite on Friday.

The non-profit Carbon Mapper is behind the satellite and will make the data available once it’s operational in the coming months. Tanager-1 is the second methane-detecting satellite launched in the past six months by a non-profit, reflecting the growing scrutiny around the potent greenhouse gas and the satellites’ low cost relative to others used for atmospheric monitoring.

The public emissions data could become a market mechanism according to Carbon Mapper CEO Riley Duren. “If you have empirical evidence of liquid natural gas, then you can differentiate between cleaner consumers and producers of natural gas,” he says.Businesses operating in countries aiming to clean up high-emitting sectors could rely on satellite data to shift supply chains.

While aerial surveys allow for extremely precise measurements, satellites offer a global view that can track emissions in foreign jurisdictions where it’s challenging to dispatch planes and drones. Carbon Mapper’s plan to scale capitalises on a key advantage of emissions-tracking satellites: they’re cost effective.

The Environmental Defence Fund launched a methane-tracking satellite with support from Google in March that cost $88-million. Tanager-1, along with a second satellite Carbon Mapper has in the works, cost a combined $130-million.Methane-tracking satellites have proven to be valuable tools, though many government agencies are reluctant to use them to track emissions and set regulations. “It still feels a bit exotic,” Jacob explains.

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TechCentral /  🏆 8. in ZA

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