Digital Press Kit
MethaneSAT will be the most advanced methane-tracking satellite in space. It will monitor methane emissions almost anywhere on Earth with greater precision than any other satellite, measuring large sources as well as those too small for other instruments to see – detecting changes in concentration as small as 3 parts per billion. And it will make its data available to policymakers, industry, scientists, and the public, for free. You can learn more about MethaneSAT here.
MethaneSAT Experts
Ilissa Ocko
EDF Senior Climate Scientist, Barbra Streisand Chair of Environmental Studies
MethaneSAT & Other Methane Satellites
An ecosystem of methane-detecting satellites is emerging, each with distinct capabilities and purpose. They’re giving companies, regulators, investors, and the public a new level of transparency and insight for tackling an urgent climate challenge. Learn more about MethaneSAT’s unique capabilities and how it fits with other satellite missions.
Satellites explainers: Short [PDF] | Long [PDF]
Press Releases
Bi-Partisan Vote Revives EPA Methane Rules, Paves Way for Higher Standards to Come; Satellite Measurements and Transparent Public Data Will Help Companies, Officials Deliver
MethaneSAT and other orbiting instruments offer wide scale, high precision and low cost Contacts: Jon Coifman, (212) 616-1325, jcoifman@methanesat.org (SAN FRANCISCO – June 28, 2021) Rapid advances in satellite technology combined with robust and transparent reporting...
MethaneSAT Picks SpaceX as Launch Provider for Mission to Protect Earth’s Climate
Groundbreaking satellite will ride into orbit aboard Falcon 9 rocket Contacts: Jon Coifman, (212) 616-1325, jcoifman@methanesat.org, Lauren Whittenberg, (512) 691-3437, lwhittenberg@edf.org (SAN FRANCISCO – January 13, 2021) The nonprofit MethaneSAT LLC announced...
MethaneSAT Completes Critical Design Review, Moves into Production Phase
Sensors and spacecraft exceed mission performance goals; flow of precision measurements will open up new opportunities to track and reduce potent greenhouse emissions Contacts: Jon Coifman, (212) 616-1325, jcoifman@methanesat.org (SAN FRANCISCO – September 9 2020)...
MethaneSAT in the News
Who Are the World’s Biggest Climate Polluters? Satellites Sweep for Culprits
Source: Wall Street Journal
How satellites could help hold countries to emissions promises made at COP26 summit
Source: Washington Post
BP Looks Dirtier Than Exxon in New Data From Giant U.S. Oil Field
Source: Bloomberg
Russia allows methane leaks at planet’s peril
Source: Washington Post
On eve of climate summit, researchers sharpen emissions tracking
Source: Science
Control methane to slow global warming — fast
Source: Nature
New satellites can mitigate methane’s outsize impact on climate change
Source: Canary Media
Greenhouse gas emissions spike in Permian Basin, as climate change pressure mounts
Source: Houston Chronicle
Rocket Lab to Build, Manage MethaneSAT Operations Control Center
Source: ViaSatellite
MethaneSAT To Launch In October Of 2022 Via A SpaceX Falcon 9
Source: Satnews
Permian Oil Fields Leak Enough Methane for 7 Million Homes
Source: Bloomberg
A Methane Leak, Seen From Space, Proves to Be Far Larger Than Thought
Source: New York Times
Big Oil CEOs Talk Climate Change, Methane and Gas
Source: Bloomberg
New Wave of Satellites Could Pinpoint Greenhouse Gas Offenders
Source: Bloomberg
An Eye in the Sky Could Detect Planet-Warming Plumes on the Ground
Source: New York Times
Visualizing Methane and MethaneSAT
Scientific Papers
You can explore the science behind methane and its role in fighting the climate crisis through the links below or an overview of studies.
Environmental Research Letters May 4, 2021
Acting rapidly to deploy readily available methane mitigation measures by sector can immediately slow global warming
Science Advances June 30, 2021
Satellite-based survey of extreme methane emissions in the Permian basin
Environmental Research Letters January 26, 2021
A tale of two regions: methane emissions from oil and gas production in offshore/onshore Mexico
American Geophysical Union December 2020
Quantifying methane emissions from the oil/gas sector in Mexico using TROPOMI satellite observations
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics May 3, 2020
Concurrent variation in oil and gas methane emissions and oil price during the COVID-19 pandemic
Science Advances April 22, 2020
Quantifying methane emissions from the largest oil-producing basin in the United States from space
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences December 26, 2019
Satellite observations reveal extreme methane leakage from a natural gas well blowout
Geophysical Research Letters February 5, 2019
Satellite-Observed Changes in Mexico’s Offshore Gas Flaring Activity Linked to Oil/Gas Regulations
American Geophysical Union December 2018
MethaneSAT: A learning satellite for detecting and quantifying methane sources
Science July 13, 2018
Assessment of methane emissions from the U.S. oil and gas supply chain