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GHGSat, a Canadian satellite operator, has announced that it has ordered an additional four 16U cubesats from Spire Global. These satellites, which are identical to the three previously ordered from Spire, are set to be launched no earlier than 2024. GHGSat currently has nine satellites in orbit, all of which were built by the University of Toronto’s Space Flight Laboratory (SFL).

GHGSat aims to expand its greenhouse gas-monitoring constellation with the new satellites. The increased number of satellites will allow for more frequent observations and better coverage. The goal is to monitor emissions daily from every industrial source. The company uses gas-detection payloads from ABB, a Switzerland-based company, to track methane emissions from carbon-intensive industries such as oil and gas, coal mining, waste management, and agriculture.

GHGSat’s services can help organizations in detecting methane leaks, quantifying emissions for regulators, and developing strategies for reducing environmental harm. The value of the expanded contract with Spire has not been disclosed by either company.

Spire Global, headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, is building the satellites for GHGSat in manufacturing facilities located in Scotland, United Kingdom. GHGSat sees this contract as a demonstration of its growing commitment to the United Kingdom, following its announcement in June to share emissions data with the UK Space Agency for research and development purposes.

Spire’s 16U platform, introduced last year, is currently the company’s largest satellite. Virgin Orbit, originally scheduled to launch Spire’s first 16U cubesat, encountered financial difficulties and collapsed into bankruptcy. Rocket Lab is now scheduled to launch NorthStar Earth and Space’s first four 16U satellites from Spire in the fall using an Electron rocket.

GHGSat owns the nine satellites built by SFL, while Spire operates satellites on behalf of its customers under a space-as-a-service business model. Other companies, such as Absolut Group and Satlantis, are also pursuing similar ventures focusing on satellite-based methane monitoring.

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