Detecting cow burps from space - Our Changing World

In March 2024, a satellite built to detect the potent greenhouse gas methane launched into orbit – backed by New Zealand to a final total of $32 million. MethaneSAT aimed to pinpoint large leaks from oil and gas fields, since plugging these is considered an easy climate win. But an add-on mission was investigating whether the satellite could pick up the smaller, more diffuse methane emissions from agriculture. Our Changing World joined the New Zealand-based team testing this capability – before disaster struck. With MethaneSAT uncontactable and lost in space, what did the mission deliver? This episode was updated on 6 October to include the correct total figure of the New Zealand's contribution to MethaneSAT of $32 million.<a href="https://radionz.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=211a938dcf3e634ba2427dde9&id=81ad21bafe">Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter</a> for episode backstories, science analysis and more....