NASA's Tanager-1 satellite to pinpoint methane and carbon dioxide emissions worldwide

This artist’s concept depicts one of the Carbon Mapper Coalition’s Tanager satellites (Image credit: Planet Labs PBC/NASA)

Tanager-1 satellite, developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to monitor global greenhouse gas emissions, successfully entered Earth's orbit after launching aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on August 16.

Built by Planet Labs PBC and funded by nonprofit organization Carbon Mapper Coalition, this satellite marks an advancement in the effort to combat climate change.

Equipped with a NASA-designed imaging spectrometer, Tanager-1 is set to detect methane and carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. NASA said once operational, Tanager-1 will scan approximately 50,000 square miles of Earth's surface daily, identifying gas emissions and pinpointing their sources. The space agency said the data collected will be made publicly available through the Carbon Mapper data portal, enabling scientists, policymakers, and industries to take timely action and mitigate climate change.

“The imaging spectrometer technology aboard Tanager-1 is the product of four decades of development at NASA JPL and truly in a class of its own,” said JPL Director Laurie Leshin. “The data that this public-private partnership provides on sources of greenhouse gas emissions will be precise and global, making it beneficial to everyone.”

Methane and carbon dioxide are the two leading contributors to climate change, with about half of methane emissions resulting from human activities, including fossil fuel extraction, agriculture, and waste management. With Tanager-1, the Carbon Mapper Coalition seeks to detect and quantify super-emitters, enabling targeted action to reduce these harmful emissions.