China launches methane monitoring commercial satellite

China on Monday launched the Lijian-1 Y5 commercial carrier rocket with 15 satellites onboard, including the Xiguang-1 04 satellite, which is China's first high-resolution methane monitoring commercial satellite.

The rocket blasted off from a commercial aerospace innovation pilot zone in northwest China. Carrying multiple payloads, including a methane concentration detector and an imaging camera, the satellite is capable of identifying sources of methane emissions in coal mines, landfills, and oil and gas fields. Xiguang-004 is also the world’s first monitoring satellite specifically designed to focus on methane gas.

It can conduct high-frequency, high-precision observations of point-source methane leaks and emissions globally, providing technical support for the establishment of a comprehensive methane emission monitoring system.