California Coalition Just Launched Its ‘Own Damn Satellite’ to Track Pollution

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE — California just followed through on a promise by former Gov. Jerry Brown – a philanthropically-backed coalition, including the state, launched its ‘own damn satellite’ to help track dangerous pollutants like methane. Tackling methane emissions is critical to combating the climate crisis because methane is 80 times more potent than carbon emissions for near-term warming of the planet.

Planet Labs successfully launched its Tanager-1 satellite Aug. 16 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The satellite is designed to detect, pinpoint, and quantify super-emitters at a level of granularity needed to support direct mitigation action. 

The launch was made possible by the Carbon Mapper Coalition, which is a philanthropically-backed partnership dedicated to filling gaps in the emerging ecosystem of methane and CO2 monitoring systems. The coalition is led by Carbon Mapper, Inc., a nonprofit organization, and includes Planet Labs PBC, NASA JPL, RMI, the California Air Resources Board or CARB, Arizona State University and others. It has received philanthropic support from High Tide Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the Grantham Foundation.

Separate from this launch, as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s California Climate Commitment budget, California has made a $100 million state investment in using satellite methane data. This data could help track upwards of 40% of global methane emissions.

California’s collaboration in this effort was initially launched by former Governor Brown in 2018. At the time, Governor Brown said: “We’re going to launch our own damn satellite to figure out where the pollution is and how we’re going to end it.”

This satellite provides California with a powerful tool to help slash emissions of methane. The satellite accelerates action by making high emitting methane sources visible quickly. The data collected by the satellite will provide a more complete, precise, and timely measurement of methane source level emissions, in addition to more than 25 other environmental indicators. 

Satellite methane data will be critical for California regulators to hold polluters accountable, and the rest of the world will benefit as well from transparent and timely access to data on leaks when they occur. The state would notify polluters in California and take enforcement action if leaks weren’t quickly addressed.