At $30 million, MethaneSAT was easily New Zealand’s largest ever investment in “space”. It is also by far our biggest disappointment.
Developed by US-based non-profit the Environment Defence Fund (EDF), MethaneSAT aimed to detect methane leaking from oil and gas facilities worldwide. New Zealand’s participation in the MethaneSAT mission was framed as a “flagship” for our fledgling national space programme.
Subscribe to continue reading
Already have an account? Sign In.
Unlimited access Newsroom Pro articles
Bonus subscription for a friend or family member
Exclusive subscriber-only emails
Access to post and read comments on articles
A daily morning email of news and insights curated by Newsroom Pro editorial team
Corporate subscriptions also available
Physics professor Richard Easther, from the Faculty of Science at the University of Auckland, covers ground that crosses particle physics, cosmology, astrophysics and astronomy.
More by Richard Easther