Tanager-1 Satellite Launch: A Leap Forward in Detecting Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions

In an epochal moment for climate action, the Carbon Mapper Coalition's maiden satellite, Tanager-1, has ascended to Earth's orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, marking a significant advancement in the detection and analysis of greenhouse gas emissions on our planet.

Developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the aboard imaging spectrometer is poised to provide granular and actionable data to combat emissions that fuel global warming. Following its launch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base, Tanager-1 now resides in space, with its first communications established just a few hours post deployment.

With Tanager-1, the Carbon Mapper Coalition, spearheaded by the nonprofit Carbon Mapper alongside members such as Planet Labs PBC and JPL, showcases a public-private collaboration aimed at utilizing advanced technologies to curb environmental impact. The imaging spectrometer technology is a cumulation of four decades of innovation at NASA JPL, designed to measure emissions of methane and carbon dioxide at an unprecedented facility and equipment level.

Once operational, the satellite is expected to survey an expansive 50,000 square miles of the Earth's surface daily. The distinguishing spectral fingerprints of methane and carbon dioxide plumes will be analyzed and identified. Making these data sets public on the Carbon Mapper data portal supports transparency and enables evidence-based decision-making.

Confronting two of the chief culprits of climate change, methane and carbon dioxide – with a significant proportion of the former emanating from anthropogenic activities – Tanager-1's mission is paramount. Its pinpointing capacity targets 'super-emitters,' thus fostering real-time actionable insights pertinent to emission reductions. Notably, this endeavor augments the current data-driven efforts to mitigate the alarming increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide, attributed largely to fossil fuel exploitation.

Cutting-edge technology lies at the heart of the Tanager-1 initiative, where the spectrometer reads hundreds of light wavelengths reflecting off Earth's surface. By capturing the unique absorption of these wavelengths by specific atmospheric compounds, the spectrometer determines the location and quantity of potent greenhouse gas emissions.

Beyond Tanager-1, the broader goal includes leveraging data from NASA's EMIT, aboard the International Space Station, further reinforcing the global movement for environmental transparency and remedial action. The laser-focused mission of Carbon Mapper to bridge gaps in the methane and carbon dioxide monitoring systems stands to amplify scientific and policy impacts, abetted by an array of institutional partnerships and philanthropic backing.

Through innovations such as Tanager-1, the coalition aspires to provide the indispensable scientific proficiency, bolstering global agendas to combat the climate crisis we are confronted with today.