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First Light Images Released From the Carbon Mapper Coalition Tanager-1 Satellite

Published on: Sep 24, 2024

Today, through collaboration with the Carbon Mapper Coalition, Planet Labs released the first hyperspectral images from the Tanager-1 satellite.

A hypercube visualizing the range of wavelengths collected by Tanager during first light. In the lower left is a visible-light image of Karachi, Pakistan, collected on September 19th, 2024. Up and to the right is a cross section of all the bands collected by Tanager spanning from 400 - 2500 nm.

Tanager First Light images of Karachi, Pakistan taken on September 19th, 2024. Each of these images is composed of 3 of the over 400 bands that Tanager collects with each capture. From left to right: (A) A visible-wavelength image using 470 nm for Blue, 550 nm for Green, and 665 nm for Red. (B) A near-infrared false-color image using 550 nm for Blue, 665 nm for Green, and 840 nm for Red. (C) A shortwave infrared false-color image using 665 nm for Blue, 840 nm for Green, and 1600 nm for Red. (D) A second shortwave infrared image using 840 nm for Blue, 1600 nm for Green, and 2350 nm for Red.

A hypercube visualizing the range of wavelengths collected by Tanager. In the lower left is a visible-light image of Karachi, Pakistan, collected on September 19th, 2024. Up and to the right is a cross section of all the bands collected by Tanager spanning from 400 - 2500 nm. (Photo by Planet Labs, PBC)

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This first light comes just over one month after the August 16th launch of Tanager-1 onboard Transporter-11. The satellite is developed and operated by Planet Labs with technology from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

Tanager-1 is the first of a series of satellites being developed and deployed through a unique public-private partnership powered by philanthropy and led by Carbon Mapper. The first light images showcase only a fraction of the satellite’s hyperspectral capabilities, which is expected to provide data across over 400 spectral channels. This capability will unlock a range of environmental and biodiversity insights, including unprecedented granularity on methane super-emitters. Through data generated through these satellite observations, Carbon Mapper will help fill gaps in society’s current understanding of human-caused methane and CO₂emissions and drive mitigation action. Ultimately, Carbon Mapper’s goal is to provide sustained monitoring of up to 90% of methane and CO₂ super-emitters globally.

View Planet’s full release here.

This is an exciting milestone as Planet Labs and Carbon Mapper continue the commissioning process.

Once Tanager-1 is ready to regularly deliver observations, Carbon Mapper will make methane and CO₂ data and insights available for noncommercial use 30 days after detection on our public data portal, which currently has thousands of high emissions sources observed by air and space. Access to this data empowers facility operators, governments, nonprofits, journalists, communities, and researchers to find and fix leaks, quickly diagnose root causes of emissions, inform mitigation solutions, and verify reductions. Planet will also make early-access data commercially available.