23 Apr 2021

Measuring methane from space a step closer

From Nine To Noon, 9:28 am on 23 April 2021

A joint US-NZ space mission operation, MethaneSat aims to help tackle climate change through a methane-tracking satellite. It is the first New Zealand government funded space mission, with a $26 million investment.

The Minister of Research, Science and Innovation, Megan Woods, has announced this morning that Mission Control for the project will be permanently based at Auckland University's Te Pūnaha Ātea-Auckland Space Institute, with the help of Rocket Lab.

Dr Sara Mikaloff-Fletcher is an atmospheric scientist with NIWA who is leading a team of key New Zealand scientists who'll work alongside Harvard University on analysing the data.

Expedition 48 Earth observation composite created with iss048e044008 - iss048e044019134B4331-134B4342 Morning over the Atlantic

Photo: Ball Aerospace