Subscribe to Never Miss an Important Update! Assured Discounts on New Products!
Table of contents
Context (IE): Global Methane Emission Monitoring Satellite MethaneSAT was Successfully launched by SpaceX Falcon9 rocket from California.
Though it is not the first spacecraft to identify and quantify methane emissions, it will provide more details and have a much wider field of view than any of its predecessors.
Need to track and measure methane emissions
Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, is the second-largest contributor to global warming, following carbon dioxide.
It is responsible for 30% of global heating since the Industrial Revolution.
Methane is 80 timesmore potent in warming than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period (UNEP).
The gas also helps create ground-level ozone, a colourless and irritating gas.
Exposure to ground-level ozone might cause one million premature deaths annually.
Fossil fuel operations account for about 40 per cent of all human-caused methane emissions.
What is MethaneSAT?
It is a satellite project led by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a US nonprofit organisation.
EDF collaborated with Harvard University, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and the New Zealand Space Agency for its development.
The satellite will orbit the Earth 15 times daily, focusing on monitoring the oil and gas sector.
Aim: To collect data revealing methane emissions’ sources, intensity, and changes over time.
Google (Mission partner): The data collected by MethaneSAT will undergo analysis using cloud computing and AI technology provided by Google.
The findings will be shared with the public through Google’s Earth Engine platform. This will allow stakeholders and regulators to take action to reduce methane emissions.
Significance of MethaneSAT
Limitations in earlier satellites
Some provided high-resolution data but only for specific sites, while others covered larger areas but missed smaller sources, which contributed to most emissions.
An IEA report suggests global methane emissions are 70% higher than reported by governments due to these limitations. MethaneSAT is expected to fix the issue.
Advantages in MethaneSAT
It can detect changes in methane concentrations as low as three parts per billion.
This capability enables it to identify smaller emission sources compared to previous satellites.
Additionally, MethaneSAT has a wide-camera view of about 200 km by 200 km, allowing it to spot larger emitters known as super emitters.
Steps taken to reduce Methane Pollution
Over 150 countries signed the Global Methane Pledge in 2021. The pledge aims to cut collective methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030.
At the latest COP, more than 50 companies committed to virtually eliminating methane emissions and routine flaring.
Routine flaring, also known as production flaring, is a method and current practice of disposing of large unwanted amounts of associated petroleum gas (APG) during crude oil extraction.