Ibadan, 22 February 2024. – The European Space Agency (ESA) has given the green light for the realization of the Dutch TANGO satellites with ISISPACE as the prime contractor. TANGO (Twin Anthropogenic Greenhouse gas Observers) comprises two satellites flying in tandem. It will be a unique European measurement system that will determine methane, carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions for individual industrial plants. Furthermore, it measures greenhouse gas emissions at source level from power plants, coal mines, landfills and factories, among others.
Its Dutch predecessor TROPOMI has already been monitoring the greenhouse gas methane worldwide since 2017 and can map about 5% of emission sources. However, TANGO will be able to monitor sources responsible for around 75% of global emissions of methane. Moreover, TANGO measures emissions of CO2, the gas that accounts for the largest output of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
A Dutch consortium consisting of ISISPACE, TNO, SRON and KNMI will be responsible for developing the satellites, and TANGO will potentially be ready for launch by early 2027. In addition, ISISPACE will be responsible for the overall mission implementation and the development of the satellite platforms and will carry out the daily operations of the mission. The accurate emission data that TANGO provides will help governments, scientists, and companies verify reported emissions
Jeroen Rotteveel, CEO of ISISPACE, commented about the satellites, “With TANGO, our company will provide scientific data as a service to ESA using Dutch instrumentation on our small satellites. With this space-as-a-service solution that combines our heritage in small satellites together with the excellent track record in climate monitoring from space in the Netherlands, our team can make a substantial contribution to the global climate challenge with a dedicated monitoring system.”
