In 2025 scientists put the methane-sensing capabilities of 12 spectral-imaging satellites to the test. Some were designed specifically to measure atmospheric methane; others were repurposed for the task. Now the researchers have shared their results: each of the satellites can be used to detect methane, but some are better than their counterparts for quantifying the potent greenhouse gas (Nature 2026, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-11115-0).
“This experiment is the latest in a series of studies that have come out of the Brandt Group lab at Stanford [University],” says Frances Reuland, a PhD student in the engineering lab. Each project has focused on the ability of various technologies to measure methane leaks on Earth.