OTTAWA: Canadian emissions monitoring company GHGSat launched its latest satellite, Vanguard, with a mission to detect carbon dioxide emissions.
The satellite will monitor CO2 emissions from coal plants and steel mills directly from space.
Satellite delivered by SpaceX
Vanguard, launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, is set to join a growing network of satellites that have been instrumental in identifying methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas.
The emissions monitoring satellites were “successfully delivered into orbit this afternoon by @SpaceX ‘s as part of the #Transporter9 mission,” GHGSat said on X.
Unlike methane, which leaks from various small sources like pipelines and farms, carbon dioxide mainly emanates from large industrial sources such as power plants.
Current satellite monitoring of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere lacks a focus on facility-level emissions, making Vanguard’s mission particularly crucial.
GHGSat’s objective
GHGSat’s data, generated by Vanguard, will be sold to industrial emitters aiming to reduce their emissions.
Governments and scientists can access this data, contributing to more accurate emission inventories and scientific modeling.
GHGSat, known for its expertise in detecting methane emissions, has expanded its capabilities to target carbon dioxide emitters with its latest satellite.
