Carbon Mapper
Methane monitoring satellite initiative
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Carbon Mapper is a nonprofit environmental monitoring initiative that develops and operates remote sensing systems to detect and quantify greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane and carbon dioxide, at facility scale. The initiative integrates satellite, airborne, and data analysis technologies to identify high-emission sources.[1][2][3]
| Formation | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Focus | Methane and carbon dioxide emissions monitoring |
| Headquarters | United States |
Region served | Global |
The initiative operates through a public–private partnership involving scientific institutions, nonprofit organisations, and technology companies. Participating partners include NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Planet Labs, and academic institutions.[2]
History
The Carbon Mapper Coalition was formed in 2021 as a collaboration among research institutions, environmental organisations, and technology companies to improve detection of high-emission greenhouse gas sources.[2]
Early projects involved airborne remote sensing campaigns and integration of satellite-based instruments to map methane emissions from industrial facilities, oil and gas infrastructure, and waste sites.[4]
The initiative later expanded to include a constellation of hyperspectral satellites designed to detect methane plumes from individual facilities worldwide.[5]
Monitoring system
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Carbon Mapper operates an integrated emissions monitoring system combining satellite instruments, aircraft sensors, and data analysis infrastructure.[5]
The system is designed to locate and quantify methane and carbon dioxide emissions at facility scale across multiple regions of the world.[5][6]
Satellite programme
The Carbon Mapper satellite programme includes a constellation of hyperspectral imaging satellites designed to detect methane plumes from space with high spatial resolution.[5]
The first satellite in the constellation, Tanager-1, was launched in 2024 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base.[2][3]