NASA JPL Hands Off Imaging Spectrometer to Tanager 1 Team for Carbon Mapper Coalition’s Efforts
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has reached a significant milestone in the mission to gain a better understanding of global methane and carbon dioxide emissions. The JPL team has handed off an imaging spectrometer to the Tanager 1 hyperspectral satellite integration team. This imaging spectrometer will serve as the “eye” of the Tanager satellite, allowing for the detection and quantification of methane and carbon dioxide emissions.
The Carbon Mapper Coalition, a public-private partnership established in 2021, has been working towards this important goal. As part of the Coalition, Planet, a leading Earth observation company, is building and launching two hyperspectral satellites, namely Tanager 1 and Tanager 2. Tanager 1 is expected to be ready for launch in 2024.
In addition to the Tanager satellites, the Pelican Program is also making progress. The first Tech Demo, TD1, has been fully built and is anticipated to be launched later this year. The primary objective of TD1 is to test the satellite platform and operational systems on-orbit. Lessons learned from TD1 will then be integrated into future Pelican and Tanager satellite builds.
To ensure the success of these missions, Planet is working closely with users in the Early Access Program (EAP). The EAP cohort consists of companies in various industries such as agriculture, energy, mining, and defense. This collaboration allows Planet to understand how hyperspectral data can deliver value to their organizations. These insights from EAP partners directly contribute to refining the product development process and expediting the time-to-value of the data.
The imaging spectrometer, developed by NASA JPL, measures the wavelengths of light reflected by Earth’s surface and absorbed by gases in the atmosphere. By analyzing the different wavelengths of light absorbed by various compounds, including methane and carbon dioxide, the instrument enables the detection of point source emissions. Rigorous tests conducted at JPL have verified that the instrument can withstand the stresses of launch and harsh conditions in orbit, successfully detecting and producing a spectral fingerprint of methane during testing.
Recently, the instrument was transferred from JPL to Planet’s facility in the Bay Area. Planet is currently collaborating with NASA JPL to build the second instrument. The integration of the imaging spectrometer with the Tanager satellite bus is set to occur this fall, with a targeted launch date of early 2024.
With the integration of this state-of-the-art imaging spectrometer into the Tanager 1 satellite, the Carbon Mapper Coalition takes another step forward in the global effort to comprehensively understand and mitigate methane and carbon dioxide emissions. This milestone represents a significant advancement in our abilities to monitor and address these crucial environmental factors.
“Social media scholar. Reader. Zombieaholic. Hardcore music maven. Web fanatic. Coffee practitioner. Explorer.”