Two New Methane-Monitoring Satellites to Launch This Month
GHGSat Prepares to Deploy Pierre (C-12) and Valmay (C-13) Spacecraft
Two new methane monitoring satellites are ready for launch at the end of June 2025. The additions will expand the GHGSat fleet of spacecraft, enabling daily monitoring of industrial sites around the globe.
“This expanded capability will allow us to pinpoint emissions events even faster, helping our clients take quicker action."
Stephane Germain, GHGSat
The two satellites, named Pierre (C-12) and Valmay (C-13) join the largest constellation of satellites dedicated to methane in the world. Designed to support industry operators to detect and mitigate methane emissions at speed and scale, GHGSat’s constellation has the ability to identify the exact source of an emission—down to individual pieces of equipment—at a frequency unmatched by any commercial or nonprofit organization. Observing millions of industrial facilities annually, GHGSat delivers the most comprehensive methane monitoring coverage in the market.
Now, the new satellites allow GHGSat to further reduce the time between successive observations of the same site—a crucial advantage for industries and governments seeking to track and reduce emissions quickly and effectively.
The satellites follow a unique GHGSat tradition: naming each satellite after the children of company employees. This practice reflects the company’s commitment to building a sustainable future for the next generation.
Pierre (C-12) is named after the two-year-old son of Emilie Hamel, Chief Operating Officer at GHGSat. Hamel is proud to create a tangible link between her family’s values and GHGSat’s commitment to a better future for the next generation.
“GHGSat represents values that are important for our family. Our satellites are a demonstration of our constant pursuit of innovation, our determination to resolve a massive challenge for the next generation, and our entrepreneurial spirit that is used to take real action, and not just sit on the sidelines,” said Hamel.
Valmay, (C-13), will have a three-year-old fan waiting for it to soar into orbit: the daughter of Brody Wight, Senior Account Director at GHGSat. With a career focused on space, Wight is excited to share his passion for the sector with Valmay. This effort has already borne fruit: since learning that she will soon have a namesake in space, Valmay has requested updates and to view photos of C-13 on a daily basis—and informed everyone in her preschool class that her satellite is going to be launched on a rocket soon.
“My hope is that when Valmay is older, she’ll have something personal to point to that motivates positive action for her and her peers,” said Wight.
“Launching Pierre and Valmay marks a major leap forward in our ability to support customers with timely, high-quality emissions intelligence,” said GHGSat CEO Stephane Germain. “This expanded capability will allow us to pinpoint emissions events even faster, helping our clients take quicker action to keep methane from escaping into the atmosphere. Ultimately, this constellation expansion will enable the energy sector to increase its efficiency while protecting Earth’s natural beauty.”
Because methane is more than 80 times more potent than CO₂ over a 20-year period, reducing its levels in the atmosphere has a swift impact on the climate. Economically, capturing methane that would otherwise leak into the atmosphere translates into increased efficiency and profit for the energy sector, as it ensures that valuable products do not go to waste.