GHGSat’s Second-Generation Sensor: Global Leadership in Methane Measurement

At GHGSat, our mission has always been to make methane emissions visible, measurable, and actionable. That mission began in space, but it has never been confined to it. Our Gen2 aircraft sensor represents the same commitment to precision that defines everything we do, with higher performance and finer resolution.

From satellites to aircraft: a decade of emissions intelligence

GHGSat pioneered the idea that when the world can see methane emissions with precision, it can act on them. In 2016, we became the first company to design, build, and launch a satellite capable of measuring methane at the facility level—pinpointing individual industrial sites responsible for emissions, anywhere on Earth, from 500 kilometres up in low-Earth orbit.

In the ten years since, GHGSat has grown that capability into the world’s largest fleet of satellites dedicated to methane monitoring, launching 16 into orbit. With an unmatched daily revisit rate, GHGSat’s fleet delivers data about emissions within hours of detection. Our constellation now provides the most comprehensive view of global facility-level methane emissions available to any operator, regulator, or researcher on the planet.

But a complete picture of emissions requires more than satellites alone. Whereas satellites can see the whole world every day, aircraft can see specific regions periodically with higher performance and finer resolution. Airborne measurement fills a critical role, delivering high-resolution, site-specific data that complements our space-based view and gives operators the granular verification they need.

The Gen2 sensor: proven in the field

GHGSat’s Gen2 sensor has been developed for both satellite and aircraft. We started with the Gen2 aircraft sensor, which has been widely deployed for several years across oil and gas operations in North America, Europe, and Australia, from the Permian and Appalachian basins to offshore platforms and midstream compressor stations. Our Gen2 aircraft sensor delivers consistent, repeatable measurements across a broad range of operating environments—the kind of data that forms the evidentiary backbone of modern methane reporting.

What sets it apart is not just performance. It is the level of independent verification behind every measurement.

Double-validated, independently verified

The Gen2 aircraft sensor has been assessed by two of the most rigorous and widely-recognized organizations in the methane measurement landscape — giving operators confidence that its data will stand up to the scrutiny of regulators, auditors, and standards bodies.

METEC Tested

Gen2 of DATA.AIR has been tested and validated by Colorado State University’s Methane Emissions Technology Evaluation Center (METEC), the global benchmark for controlled-release verification of methane detection systems. METEC confirmed best-in-class performance, validating that DATA.AIR technology can detect methane emissions at 3.5 kilograms per hour with a 90% probability of detection, supporting the rigorous measurement requirements necessary for OGMP 2.0 Level 5 reporting.

MiQ Approved

Gen2 has also been recognized under the MiQ methane standard, which sets the bar for independent, credible methane performance certification in the natural gas supply chain. The assessment confirms that DATA.AIR Gen2 meets MiQ’s compatability assessment requirements for Facility Scale Inspection, with a minimum detection limit of 3.5 kg/hr at 90% probability of detection—roughly seven times more sensitive than MiQ’s minimum requirement of 25 kg/hr.

What comes next

The Gen2 aircraft sensor is part of a broader step forward in how GHGSat sees methane. GHGSat’s Gen2 sensor has been developed for both satellite and aircraft.

Now, GHGSat is preparing to launch the second generation of its groundbreaking satellite technology—an instrument that will detect smaller emissions sources than anything currently in orbit. More emitters. More sources. More of the invisible, finally made visible.

The most detailed picture of global methane is about to get even clearer.