Small satellite manufacturer and mission services provider Blue Canyon
Technologies (BCT) has been selected by MethaneSAT
LLC (“MethaneSAT”), to develop and build the spacecraft bus for the
groundbreaking mission.
MethaneSAT is a subsidiary of the non-profit Environmental Defense Fund
(EDF). The donor-funded mission, which is scheduled to launch in 2022,
will provide global, high-resolution detection and quantification of
methane emissions from oil and gas facilities, as well as measure
emissions from other human-generated methane sources.
This comprehensive data will be made available to the public, and
provide companies, governments and other stakeholders with a new way to
track, quantify and take actionable steps to reduce methane emissions.
“Reducing methane emissions is critical to slowing the pace of climate
change, and we’re proud that our small-satellite technology will help
MethaneSAT and the Environmental Defense Fund with this important
mission,” says George Stafford, President and CEO of Blue Canyon
Technologies. “Our technology will make it less expensive and quicker to
launch, allowing them to collect more data sooner.”
The satellite will be designed using BCT’s newest X-SAT line of
spacecraft, specifically the X-SAT Saturn-Class which can carry payloads
up to 200 kg. As with other BCT X-SAT buses, the X-SAT Saturn-Class is a
high-agility platform, enabling the onboard instrument to collect data
and revisit sites frequently. The X-SAT Saturn-Class’s compact profile
is designed to maximize the volume, mass and power available for the
methane measuring instrument.
“MethaneSAT has a unique and demanding mission involving some of the
most seasoned, innovative organizations and individuals from both the
commercial and public aerospace sectors,” said Dr. Steven Hamburg,
MethaneSAT project co-lead. “Blue Canyon Technologies is a best-in-class
bus provider and we are confident in their ability to deliver a
spacecraft that meets the demanding performance requirements of this
mission.”
Human-generated methane emissions are responsible for more than 25
percent of global warming we currently experience. EDF calculates that
reducing global oil and gas methane emissions 45 percent by 2025 would
deliver the same near-term benefit to the climate as closing 1,300
coal-fired power plants.
Blue Canyon’s diverse spacecraft platform has the proven capability to
enable a broad range of missions and technological advances for the New
Space economy, further reducing the barriers of space entry. BCT is
currently building more than 60 spacecraft for government, commercial
and academic missions. The company has doubled in size over the past 12
months and plans to open its new 80,000-square-foot headquarters and
production facility in 2020.
About BCT
Blue Canyon Technologies, Inc., (BCT) a Colorado-based private company
founded in 2008 to bring innovative, reliable and affordable solutions
to space missions, is an experienced integrator of aerospace systems and
developer of advanced aerospace products and technologies. BCT is a
vertically integrated spacecraft manufacturer supporting nearly 40
unique missions with over 70 spacecraft. The company currently has more
than 60 satellites in production and is developing a new
80,000-square-foot facility for high rate production.
BCT has supported missions for the U.S. Air Force, NASA, the Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and many others and provided
the Attitude Control Systems for the first interplanetary CubeSats which
successfully traveled to Mars. The company has been recognized with
awards including Inc Magazine’s 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies,
2017 Colorado Companies to Watch, and the 2019 Colorado Biz Made in
Colorado Emerging Manufacturer Winner.
For the latest news on Blue Canyon Technologies and for other company
information, please visit www.bluecanyontech.com.
You can follow the company on Instagram here
or Twitter here.
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