GHGS

GHGSat, a Canadian start-up is preparing to launch its demonstration satellite GHGSat-D, which will measure greenhouse gas emissions from industrial facilities anywhere in the world.

The company successfully completed final testing of the satellite, which is scheduled to be launched by next year from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

The final round of satellite testing was carried out by a group, including Xiphos Technologies, Space Flight Laboratory at the University of Toronto’s Institute for Aerospace Studies, and MPB Communications.

GHGSat also received systems engineering and space vehicle design and integration support from Boeing.

The final test of the satellite, which weighed less than 15kg, involved thermal vacuum and vibration tests.

The performance of the satellite system test was certified using Nasa satellite data, laboratory tests and end-to-end simulations.

"GHGSat is bringing technological innovation in the aerospace industry to the fight against climate change."

GHGSat president Stéphane Germain said: "This milestone is the culmination of two years of intense effort by a team of Canadian engineers and scientists.

"GHGSat is bringing technological innovation in the aerospace industry to the fight against climate change."

The launch aims to reduce emissions in different industrial sectors including oil and gas, power generation, mining and waste management.

With the help of new satellite-based remote sensing technology, the satellite will monitor emissions from various industrial facilities and provide efficient and low-cost solutions to curb emissions.

Germain was quoted by The Huffington Post saying: "We founded our whole business on the concept that if there is value in a tonne of carbon, then the producers are going to be motivated to reduce their emissions.

"We can help by giving them a precise measurement of those emissions."

Image: GHGSat ready to launch emission measuring satellite by next year. Photo: courtesy of GHGSat.