SFL Missions Inc. has been awarded a contract by GHGSat of Montreal to develop the GHGSat-D2 demonstration satellite with enhanced greenhouse gas monitoring capabilities. SFL Missions is designing GHGSat-D2 to support more accurate and frequent measurements of emissions from sources on the Earth’s surface.

To accommodate a larger, higher-accuracy sensor being manufactured by ABB Canada, which has delivered some previous GHGSat payloads, SFL Missions is building the demonstrator satellite on its expanded DEFIANT-XL bus. The mass of the completed GHGSat-D2 satellite is expected to be just under 100 kg at launch.

By comparison, the SFL NEMO microsatellite bus used to develop the GHGSat “Claire” Pathfinder mission in 2016 and 11 commercial emissions monitoring satellites launched since then averaged 15 kg. SFL Missions is currently building GHGSat-C18 and -C19 on its NEMO bus in Toronto.

“SFL Missions is pleased that GHGSat is teaming with us to make a significant technological advancement in its space-based greenhouse gas monitoring capabilities,” said SFL Missions Director and CEO Dr. Robert E. Zee.

“The collaboration between GHGSat and SFL has delivered satellites that changed the game for methane monitoring from orbit. Now, with our second-generation constellation, we’re building on that success to unlock a substantial leap in performance,” said Stephane Germain, GHGSat CEO. “We’re proud to continue this partnership as we push the boundaries of what is possible from space.”

To support the GHGSat-D2 mission goal of accurately pinpointing and measuring methane emissions from smaller sources on the ground, SFL Missions is equipping the satellite with the latest version of its industry-leading Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS). This system integrates onboard computer software and hardware to maintain stability in orbit and achieve extremely precise pointing of the sensor at targets on the ground. The new satellite will be able to detect emissions as low as 50 kg/hr from space, and daily coverage per satellite will double to 20,000 km2.

Additionally, the GHGSat-D2 satellite will be more agile than its predecessors. SFL Missions is designing the satellite with the ability to slew up to 45 degrees both across and along its orbit path. This will increase the frequency with which the satellite can capture data over a specific location on the ground, also referred to as “revisit rate.”

The larger DEFIANT-XL bus will accommodate other mission enhancements as well. The satellite will have two onboard star trackers, instead of one, to support the ADCS in precision pointing from any slew orientation in orbit. Additionally, GHGSat-D2 will have a propulsion system to extend its operational life by giving it the maneuverability to avoid collisions with other satellites and to fight the orbital drag induced by solar activity.

SFL Missions is also incorporating deployable solar panels into the satellite design to provide onboard power for the larger greenhouse gas sensor and additional subsystems.

GHGSat Background

In 2016, GHGSat pioneered detection and measurement of facility-level methane (CH4) emissions from industrial sources on the ground from a satellite orbiting 500 km above Earth’s surface. Today, customers in government and industry rely on GHGSat data to reduce emissions from oil and gas, power generation, mining, waste management, and agricultural sites worldwide. Working hand-in-hand with industry as a trusted partner, GHGSat has supported the mitigation of over 21 MT CO₂E of methane since beginning operations, equivalent to the annual emissions from more than 4.9 million cars.

SFL Missions was selected to develop the GHGSat satellites due in part to the reliable, precise attitude control and target tracking capabilities of its platforms. This enables exact pointing of the onboard sensors, which is vital to the accurate detection and measurement of greenhouse gas emissions from sources on the ground. This spacecraft stability, combined with size, performance, and cost effectiveness, is unmatched in the aerospace sector today.

SFL Missions is building on a heritage that has produced 98 operationally successful missions and 470+ cumulative years in orbit. The firm is developing nano-, micro-, and small satellites and constellations using space-proven bus designs from 3 to 500 kilograms for Earth observation, communications, environmental monitoring, maritime situational awareness, space astronomy, scientific research and more.

In addition to providing end-to-end microspace mission development at its Toronto facility where 33 satellites are now under development for commercial, government, and research customers worldwide, SFL Missions offers a Flex Production program that gives NewSpace customers the option of having satellites developed or integrated in their own location or at a third-party site.