CANADA —SFL Missions has completed the launch and deployment of GHGSat-C18, named Eleanor, and GHGSat-C19, named Aidan, adding two commercial greenhouse gas monitoring microsatellites to GHGSat’s orbital constellation. The October 1 mission brings the total number of GHGSat spacecraft developed by SFL Missions to 13.
Both satellites were built on SFL Missions’ 15-kg NEMO platform, which has also been used for 11 earlier GHGSat spacecraft. The satellites were launched aboard SpaceX Transporter 18 from Vandenberg Space Force Base and underwent integration and testing at SFL Missions’ facility in Vaughan, Ontario.
The deployment strengthens the infrastructure available for facility-level greenhouse gas monitoring from space. GHGSat uses satellite data to measure emissions from individual industrial sources, with applications spanning oil and gas, power generation, mining, waste management and agriculture. These sectors can use emissions measurements to identify sources and support monitoring and reduction initiatives.
The development also highlights the growing role of small satellites in commercial environmental monitoring. Using a repeatable 15-kg satellite platform allows GHGSat to expand its constellation while retaining a common spacecraft architecture across multiple missions. SFL Missions currently has 32 additional spacecraft under development at its Vaughan facility, although the supplied announcement does not specify how many are intended for GHGSat.
For businesses operating emissions-intensive assets, a larger commercial satellite monitoring network can increase the availability of independent data on greenhouse gas releases. This is particularly relevant to energy, mining and other industrial operators facing growing requirements for emissions measurement and environmental reporting.
SFL Missions develops nano-, micro- and small satellites for commercial, government and research missions, while GHGSat is a Montreal-based company focused on satellite-based greenhouse gas emissions monitoring. The two organizations have collaborated for more than a decade on the development of GHGSat’s satellite constellation.
