MethaneSAT Update, March 2025

MethaneSAT partners have successfully completed the temporary transfer of the MethaneSAT mission operations control centre to Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT) in Colorado, USA.

BCT built the satellite, and the temporary transfer will enable them to address challenges which are affecting its operation. Operational challenges are not unusual with space missions, in this case the BCT team is best placed to manage them.

BCT took over the responsibility for operating the satellite on Wednesday 5 March 2025, New Zealand Time.

As overall mission owners, MethaneSAT LLC is committed to ensuring the mission operations control centre is transferred to the University of Auckland’s Te Pūnaha Ātea Space Institute as always planned. It is anticipated that University staff will be on console no later than the end of June 2025.

BCT takes over from Rocket Lab, which successfully developed and hosted the mission operations control centre for most of the past year.

In developing and managing the mission operations control centre, and training the University of Auckland team, Rocket Lab has strengthened New Zealand’s expertise and capability in operating its own space missions.

The mission operations control centre at the University of Auckland will continue to be used as a training facility.

While primarily a satellite that measures oil and gas emissions, New Zealand’s involvement In MethaneSAT has allowed researchers, including from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), to be at the forefront of work to detect and measure agricultural methane emissions from space.

Both the satellite’s spectrometer and the mission's data platform are functioning well. They have been producing high quality data since June 2024 which is being used by NIWA researchers and scientists.

Testing and improving the ability to measure agricultural methane emissions from space is an integral part of the New Zealand science programme, and this work will continue.