BAE SYSTEMS LAUNCHES METHANESAT SATELLITE TO PROVIDE CRITICAL GLOBAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS DATA

MethaneSAT’s primary instrument includes a BAE Systems-built spectrometer that will identify and quantify methane emissions by measuring the narrow part of the infrared spectrum where the gas absorbs light reflected off the Earth. The satellite will monitor emissions from the oil and gas sector, which accounts for about 40% of all human-caused methane emissions, and it will be able to revisit the same sites daily in most instances.

MethaneSAT will also fill a gap in existing remote methane monitoring capabilities, offering high-precision emissions mapping over a broad 200km by 200km field of view. This satellite will further complement existing methane-monitoring satellites that focus on either larger scales or detecting point sources.




BAE Systems worked alongside scientists from EDF and MethaneSAT, LLC, to design and build the primary instrument. The company also led spacecraft integration, environmental testing, and will provide commissioning services. Once commissioning is complete, EDF will launch a cloud-based platform in partnership with Google to distribute MethaneSAT data publicly and free of charge, ensuring the data will be easily accessible for all.