Methane Satellites 101: More Eyes Take to the Skies

The guide describes how spectrometers on satellites detect the infrared signature of methane to identify emissions from oil and gas, coal, waste, and agriculture. It highlights the emergence of NGO-led missions like MethaneSAT and Carbon Mapper, which provide open-source, granular data to drive climate action and pressure emitters to reduce leaks.

• Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that causes more immediate climate and public health impacts than carbon dioxide, but it is difficult to track because it is invisible, odorless, and emitted through both persistent and intermittent sources such as oil and gas facilities, coal mines, waste facilities, and animal feedlots.
• Satellites detect methane using spectrometers that identify the specific signature pattern produced by the CH4 molecule when it absorbs sunlight on the infrared spectrum at a particular wavelength.
• A new wave of nonprofit-led satellite missions, including MethaneSAT (launched in early March by the Environmental Defense Fund) and the upcoming Carbon Mapper hyperspectral satellite, provides open-source data intended for climate action rather than private use or pure research.
• MethaneSAT and Carbon Mapper offer complementary capabilities: MethaneSAT captures wide areas like basins, while Carbon Mapper acts as a "zoom lens" to detect high emissions point sources down to specific facilities or equipment.
• The global methane monitoring landscape includes various operators with different scales of detection, including the European Space Agency (launching Sentinel-5 this year and CO2M in 2025) and the MERLIN partnership between French and German space agencies (slated for 2027).

APA

RMI (2024). Methane Satellites 101: More Eyes Take to the Skies. https://rmi.org/resources/methane-satellites-101-more-eyes-take-to-the-skies/

Chicago

RMI. Methane Satellites 101: More Eyes Take to the Skies. 2024. https://rmi.org/resources/methane-satellites-101-more-eyes-take-to-the-skies/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Methane Satellites 101: More Eyes Take to the Skies |date=26 March 2024 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/methane-satellites-101-more-eyes-take-to-the-skies/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2024methane, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Methane Satellites 101: More Eyes Take to the Skies}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2024}, month = mar, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/methane-satellites-101-more-eyes-take-to-the-skies/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }