A new satellite camera called MUSICO, developed by Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, has launched to China's Tiangong space station. It will start sending back measurements of methane and carbon dioxide within two weeks. The instrument uses two lenses to track greenhouse gases over industrial sites, power plants, coal mines, and landfills. Its first methane dataset is expected by the end of June 2026, with a full analysis report in September. Methane has over 80 times the warming potential of CO2 in the short term but breaks down faster, making it a practical target for rapid climate action. Experts at a recent Hong Kong conference said better satellite data can help close the gap between reported emissions and actual releases. The UN's International Methane Emissions Observatory noted that many countries still underestimate methane output, especially from oil, gas, and coal operations. China sees methane control as part of its plan to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2060. The MUSICO project is part of a broader push to use high-precision space data for climate policy. Researchers say this marks a shift from assumptions to observation-based tracking of global methane emissions.
