Three greenhouse gas detection satellites will travel into space with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Wednesday (May 25) to improve control of emissions from space.
The satellites belong to GHGSat, based in Canada, which currently manages the largest in the world. greenhouse gases-Monitoring of satellite constellations. The new additions will double the company’s fleet, which will allow it to detect pollutants more quickly and accurately. GHGSat detects methane, a greenhouse gas that is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Studies using GHGSat data, as well as those captured by Europe’s Sentinel satellites, previously revealed large amounts of preventable methane emissions leaks from oil and gas processing facilities around the world due to negligence and defective technology.
Related: Satellites reveal record concentrations of methane despite promises of reduction
GHGSat can track these emissions to individual plants, refineries and pipelines, providing authorities with a tool to hold climate criminals accountable.
“In 2021, with three satellites in orbit, GHGSat measured more than 143 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in methane emissions worldwide,” GHGSat officials said in a statement. electronic. “The company’s data is commonly used by oil and gas operators, landfills and coal mines to understand and reduce their emissions. It is also being used by the International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) of the the United Nations Environment Program to help countries meet their commitments. “
At the COP26 United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Glasgow, Scotland, November 2021, world leaders pledged to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030 – A goal described by many scientists as easy to achieve, as much of this emissions can be prevented.
Countries currently report their emissions based on the activity of different industries and the amount of fossil fuels they use. However, this method causes delays and is unreliable, as it does not account for any leaks and relies on self-report. Therefore, satellites are expected to provide more accurate, real-time data.
Seconds the European Commission (opens new tab), methane is responsible for at least a quarter of current global warming. Eliminating unwanted methane emissions could reduce projected global warming by 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit (0.28 degrees Celsius) by 2050.
GHGSat was news at the beginning of the year getting a first: measure the amount of methane released by belching cows.
The company plans to further expand its constellation with four more satellites, which are expected to be launched in 2023.
Other players are also developing greenhouse gas detection satellites. The European Space Agency and the European Union’s Copernicus environmental monitoring program are working on a mission called CO2M, which will be the first to directly control carbon dioxide emissions at the level of individual emitters. Tracking carbon dioxide emissions from space is much more difficult than detecting methane, due to the much higher background concentrations of this gas in Earth’s atmosphere.
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