The announcement was made by SFL at the 2024 Small Satellite Conference, taking place from August 3-8 in Logan, Utah, where SFL is showcasing its technology at booth 245.
GHGSat leads the industry in detecting and measuring greenhouse gas emissions from industrial sources globally using space-based technology. Their data supports decision-makers in various sectors, including oil and gas, power generation, mining, waste management, and agriculture, to reduce emissions and accelerate decarbonization efforts. In 2023, GHGSat's constellation recorded over three million measurements across 85 countries, helping mitigate more than six million metric tonnes of CO2e of methane emissions, equating to removing 1.4 million cars from the roads for a year.
"SFL is pleased to build upon our long-standing relationship with GHGSat as it continues to leverage our exceptional microspace technology and develop a world-class commercial greenhouse gas monitoring constellation," said SFL Director Dr. Robert E. Zee. "We take pride in building cost-effective small satellites that outperform and often exceed operational specifications."
All nine GHGSat spacecraft developed by SFL remain in excellent operational health. SFL initially created the GHGSat-D (Claire) demonstration satellite, launched in 2016, and subsequently built the commercial GHGSat-C1 through C8 satellites launched since 2020. GHGSat-D has outlived its design life by three years, while the commercial satellites have consistently detected and measured methane emissions at twice their intended capacity.
"As GHGSat continues to rapidly expand its constellation of high-resolution emissions-monitoring satellites, we are proud to once again partner with SFL for an additional two satellites. These spacecraft, which will build on the extensive track record of the previous nine SFL-built GHGSat satellites, mark exciting progress in GHGSat's mission to measure emissions at every industrial site, worldwide, every day. The insights they generate will enable tangible emissions reductions for GHGSat's government and industry customers, creating global climate impact," said GHGSat President Stephane Germain.
The development of GHGSat-C12 and C13 is currently in progress at SFL's facility in Toronto. These new satellites will match the design and technical capabilities of GHGSat-C6, C7, and C8, which were launched in 2023.
SFL was initially selected by GHGSat for the Claire demonstration mission due to SFL's advanced expertise in attitude control and stability technologies. This expertise allows smaller spacecraft to accurately point sensors at ground targets, a critical capability for GHGSat's mission objectives.
Furthermore, SFL integrates robust design margins into every satellite, including onboard power systems, data storage, and downlink capacities. These margins enhance operational efficiency and mission longevity, contributing to the GHGSat satellites' superior data collection capabilities.
Related Links
GHGSat
Space Flight Laboratory
Earth Observation News - Suppiliers, Technology and Application
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