Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: IE
Context: MethaneSAT, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon9 rocket, is a satellite designed to track and measure methane emissions globally.
- MethaneSAT aims to monitor the oil and gas sector, providing data on emission sources, trends, and changes over time.
About MethaneSAT:
- Developed by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) in partnership with Harvard University, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and the New Zealand Space Agency, MethaneSAT will orbit the Earth 15 times a day, collecting data that will be made publicly available in near real-time.
- Equipped with advanced technology, including a high-resolution infrared sensor and spectrometer, MethaneSAT can detect methane concentrations as small as three parts per billion and identify both large and small emitters.
Methane is a colourless, odourless, flammable gas that’s the main component of natural gas. It’s also a greenhouse gas (GHG) that affects the Earth’s climate system.
