Carbon Mapper uses a constellation of Tanager satellites, owned and operated by Planet Labs PBC, to deliver methane data to the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Tanager-1, the first in a series of four planned satellites, was enabled by a philanthropically funded program and launched in August 2024.

Carbon Mapper has already begun routine publication of Tanager-1 methane data globally, including some early examples in which data led to rapid mitigation. Carbon Mapper also has a track record of airborne remote sensing in California and other states which resulted in the detection of many high emission point sources, nearly half of which were leaks that were voluntarily repaired by oil and gas and landfill operators.

California set a goal to reduce 40% of its methane emissions by 2030, compared to 2013 levels. California's Satellite Data Purchase Program focuses on acquiring methane data inside California and enables the potential acquisition of methane data outside the state.

"It's a privilege being selected to support California's methane reduction goals, and an exciting milestone with long-term benefits for communities across the state," said Riley Duren, CEO of Carbon Mapper. "Through this program, the State of California is leading the way in leveraging satellite remote-sensing technology to provide critical methane observations and data that can drive effective mitigation actions. We applaud the state for its continued commitment to climate leadership."

The Tanager satellites are equipped with remote sensing technology that can map priority regions with high spatial resolution (30 meters) and wide area coverage. This technology pinpoints methane sources at the facility scale (50 meters), providing intel that is critical to fixing leaks. Tanager satellites acquire hyperspectral images that Carbon Mapper analyzes to generate plume images, coordinates, and emission rate estimates for high-emission methane events. Studies by Carbon Mapper and other research teams consistently show that high-emission events occurring at a subset of facilities in the energy, waste, and agriculture sectors contribute disproportionately to regional emissions. By precisely attributing those emissions to specific facilities or infrastructure and tracking them over time, Carbon Mapper's data can support direct mitigation action on the ground.

About Carbon Mapper
Carbon Mapper is a nonprofit based in Pasadena, CA with the mission to drive greenhouse gas emissions reductions by making methane and carbon dioxide data accessible and actionable. They focus on filling gaps in the emerging ecosystem of methane and CO₂ monitoring systems by delivering data at facility scale that is precise, timely, and accessible to empower decision making and direct mitigation action. The organization leads a public-private coalition that is developing and deploying a constellation of satellites capable of detecting, quantifying, and verifying methane emissions worldwide. Data from these satellites will offer the next major step in scaling up the organization's robust data portal featuring thousands of direct observations of global methane and CO₂ super-emitters. Learn more at carbonmapper.org, view data at data.carbonmapper.org, and follow us on Twitter @carbonmapper.

Articles: 3

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