Session
Weekday Poster Session 4
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract
Methane (CH4) is the second most abundant anthropogenic greenhouse gas contributing the global warming. Its global warming potential is estimated to be about 80 times greater than that of carbon dioxide (CO2) over the last 20 years. To achieve a global net zero in carbon emissions, it is important to monitor and manage point sources of methane emissions worldwide. We introduce the first Korean spaceborne methane monitoring platform development project, termed NarSha. Collaborating with Nara Space Technology, the Climate Laboratory of Seoul National University, and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, the NarSha project aims to develop and launch the standard microsatellite by 2026. The microsatellite system, named the Korean methane monitoring microsatellite (K3M), is designed to be compatible with the 16U CubeSat standard and is equipped with two optical payloads. The primary payload is a hyperspectral imager operating in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) range, with a spectral resolution finer than 1 nm within the weak methane absorption band (1625-1670 nm) and ground sampling distance (GSD) of 30 meter at an altitude of 500 km. The secondary payload, VIS/NIR camera, is integrated with the hyperspectral imager to identify clouds within its scene. Both payloads have a swath greater than 10 km at 500 km altitude, enabling a local-level monitoring. The agile and precise attitude control system can improve a SNR during the mission. Furthermore, the on-board processing capability and high-speed communication facilitate the delivery of large volumes of raw data essential for the detection and quantification of methane plumes. This proposed system will be operated as LEO constellation to obtain a global methane point source data with high spatial and temporal resolution. This data will significantly contribute to the tracking and quantifying of global methane emissions and establishing a strategy for global warming mitigation. In this study, we introduce the NarSha project and outlines the design of microsatellite systems and the constellation for spaceborne methane monitoring.
NarSha: Pioneering The Korean Microsatellite Constellation for Spaceborne Methane Monitoring
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Methane (CH4) is the second most abundant anthropogenic greenhouse gas contributing the global warming. Its global warming potential is estimated to be about 80 times greater than that of carbon dioxide (CO2) over the last 20 years. To achieve a global net zero in carbon emissions, it is important to monitor and manage point sources of methane emissions worldwide. We introduce the first Korean spaceborne methane monitoring platform development project, termed NarSha. Collaborating with Nara Space Technology, the Climate Laboratory of Seoul National University, and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, the NarSha project aims to develop and launch the standard microsatellite by 2026. The microsatellite system, named the Korean methane monitoring microsatellite (K3M), is designed to be compatible with the 16U CubeSat standard and is equipped with two optical payloads. The primary payload is a hyperspectral imager operating in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) range, with a spectral resolution finer than 1 nm within the weak methane absorption band (1625-1670 nm) and ground sampling distance (GSD) of 30 meter at an altitude of 500 km. The secondary payload, VIS/NIR camera, is integrated with the hyperspectral imager to identify clouds within its scene. Both payloads have a swath greater than 10 km at 500 km altitude, enabling a local-level monitoring. The agile and precise attitude control system can improve a SNR during the mission. Furthermore, the on-board processing capability and high-speed communication facilitate the delivery of large volumes of raw data essential for the detection and quantification of methane plumes. This proposed system will be operated as LEO constellation to obtain a global methane point source data with high spatial and temporal resolution. This data will significantly contribute to the tracking and quantifying of global methane emissions and establishing a strategy for global warming mitigation. In this study, we introduce the NarSha project and outlines the design of microsatellite systems and the constellation for spaceborne methane monitoring.
