Methane Monitoring Satellite Components Pass CDR

Just six months after preliminary design review, Ball Aerospace successfully completed critical design review (CDR) of the MethaneSAT methane monitoring satellite flight system and advanced spectrometer instrument. The components will be integrated onto a 770-pound satellite for MethaneSAT, LLC, a subsidiary of the non-profit Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). The completion of CDR enables Ball to proceed into part fabrication and assembly.

"This is a complex, technically challenging mission driven by the profound urgency of climate change. An intensive design process up front ensures that we can move quickly from here. The result is a more powerful measurement tool than even we thought possible."

Cassandra Ely, Director at MethaneSAT LLC.

"MethaneSAT aligns with Ball's commitment to earth science, sustainability and delivering science at any scale," said Dr. Makenzie Lystrup, vice president and general manager, Civil Space, Ball Aerospace. "We have worked closely and collaboratively with the customer and other partners to develop extremely sensitive sensor technology critical to spotting methane emissions that previously would have gone undetected."

The Ball-designed MethaneSAT Instrument will measure a narrow part of the shortwave infrared spectrum where methane absorbs light, allowing it to detect concentrations as low as two parts per billion. From Low-Earth Orbit, the methane monitoring satellite will locate and measure emissions of methane sources almost anywhere on Earth with precision and at fine enough detail to identify these sources. The mission is expected to launch in 2022 to support EDF's stated goal of achieving a 45 percent reduction in methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 2025.

"This is a complex, technically challenging mission driven by the profound urgency of climate change. An intensive design process up front ensures that we can move quickly from here. The result is a more powerful measurement tool than even we thought possible," said Cassandra Ely, Director at MethaneSAT LLC. "Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our mission partners, MethaneSAT is now moving from the drawing boards and onto the assembly floor."

(Source: Ball Aerospace Corporation news release. Image provided by EDF)