The contract signed between Absolut Sensing and the Copernicus Contributing Missions program of the European Commission amounts to several million euros for a period of 5 years. First, it will see the definition of pilot cases to supplement the data already provided by the satellites of the Copernicus program. Then, once the first Absolut Sensing satellite is in orbit, the data will be delivered to CAMS (Copernicus Atmospheric Composition Services) and other Copernicus stakeholders. It could then lead to a larger operational data delivery contract once the first 12 satellites are in flight.

“This contrat award is a clear proof that the European Union is taking global warming resulting from methane emissions as a serious issue. We look forward to providing precise, reliable and frequent methane measurement data to help in the fight against climate change.” said Tristan Laurent, Chief Executive Officer of Absolut Sensing.

For complete coverage of the earth’s surface and daily revisit over areas of interest, Absolut Sensing plans to send a constellation of 24 satellites by 2027, called GESat. A first test satellite will be launched in 2024, before sending a first series of 12 satellites in 2025, followed by 12 others from 2026-2027. This represents an investment program of around 100 million euros.

These methane emissions data are intended for emitters, insurance companies, and financial players seeking to reduce the carbon footprint of their investments. Absolut Sensing’s goal is to become the preferred provider of methane data for organizations and governments wishing to detect and control emissions.