Microsatellites: GHGSat Constellation

The Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) will build and launch the GHGSat-C1 and C2 greenhouse gas monitoring satellites for GHGSat Inc. The two 15-kilogram microsatellites are commercial follow-ons to the GHGSat-D (CLAIRE) demonstration satellite developed and launched by SFL in 2016. CLAIRE demonstrates an advanced miniature hyperspectral SWIR imaging spectrometer built by MPB Communications Inc. for monitoring emissions from area and point sources. A secondary instrument measures clouds and aerosols to enhance retrievals from the primary sensor. The precise attitude control and target tracking capability of SFL’s NEMO bus – rare among satellite platforms of that size – play a key role in the accurate pointing of the CLAIRE sensor. The low-cost, high-performance NEMO will also serve as the bus for the planned GHGSat-C1 and C2 missions.

GHGSat’s mission is to become the global reference for remote sensing of greenhouse gas (GHG) and air quality gas (AQG) emissions from industrial sites, using satellite technology.

GHGSat’s novel technology enables GHG and AQG measurement with better accuracy at a fraction of the cost of comparable alternatives. Owners of industrial facilities will be able to monitor all of their facilities, local or remote, anywhere in the world, with a common technology, in near-real-time. Significantly improved emissions information will enable industries to better measure, control, and ultimately reduce emissions of GHGs and AQGs.

GHGSat monitors greenhouse gas (GHG) and air quality gas (AQG) emissions for several industries, including: oil & gas, power generation, mining, pulp & paper, pipelines (natural gas), landfill, chemicals, metals & aluminum, cement, agriculture, and transportation.

In each of these industries, GHGSat measures emissions from target sites, anywhere in the world. Sites can include: Industrial facilities with fixed, concentrated sources of emissions (e.g. stacks), Area sources with emission hotspots (e.g. landfill methane, pipeline leaks), Fugitive sources over wide areas (e.g. tailings ponds, mine faces), Mobile emitters (e.g. ships).

Each GHGSat satellite provides periodic, high-precision measurements of emissions from thousands of such sites. Targeting of measured emissions is confirmed with visual imagery from the same satellite. GHGSat instruments are calibrated regularly, and measured data is verified and validated against known sources.

GHGSat provides measurements of emissions at each site without using any on-site equipment. However, GHGSat can augment its measured data with any publicly available data (e.g. local meteorological towers) or private customer data.

Visit www.ghgsat.com for more information on GHGSat.