Naraspace’s Methane Satellite Listed on CEOS Portal Before Launch...First International Inclusion of a Private Methane Satellite

On the Same Stage as NASA, ESA, and JAXA... Meeting International Standards for Technical and Data Transparency

This is a satellite that has not even been launched yet. Nevertheless, its name has already been listed on the official portal of an international satellite cooperation body. In an unusual case, a methane-monitoring satellite developed by a Korean private company has been registered in the same system as the national greenhouse gas satellites of the United States, Europe, and Japan.

Because this is a case in which a privately led climate satellite has been incorporated into an international public data framework, observers say that the role and standing of Korea's space industry ecosystem have also risen to a new level.

Operational concept diagram of the Nareusya satellite. Provided by Naraseupeiseu

Naraspace announced on the 23rd that its methane-monitoring satellite “NarSha” has been officially listed on the “Greenhouse Gas Satellite Missions Portal” under the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS). It is being described as highly unusual that a “planned mission” in the pre-launch stage has passed CEOS’s rigorous preliminary review and been registered.

CEOS is an international coordination mechanism for Earth observation satellites established in 1984, with more than 60 organizations worldwide participating, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). It leads the standardization and joint use of satellite data and serves as a central platform for global cooperation in responding to the climate crisis.

The portal where NarSha has been listed contains greenhouse gas observation satellites led by national governments, such as NASA’s OCO-2 and JAXA’s GOSAT-2. This is the first time a Korean private company has registered a methane-monitoring satellite there.

NarSha is a constellation mission composed of 25-kilogram-class ultra-small satellites. Its goal is to repeatedly observe wide areas and precisely monitor methane emissions from industrial facilities, landfills, and other sources. The same satellite model is also scheduled to be applied to “Gyeonggi-sat 2A and 2B,” which are being promoted as part of Gyeonggi Province’s climate satellite project.

In particular, before registration, CEOS conducted a comprehensive review of NarSha’s mission design, the performance of its hyperspectral payload, its methane retrieval algorithms, and its plans for data release and utilization. Naraspace explained that pre-launch registration became possible after it was confirmed that the satellite’s technical feasibility and data transparency meet international standards.

Jung Soojong, Professor at the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Seoul National University, said, “It is highly meaningful that a Korean private-sector greenhouse gas satellite has been officially incorporated into the global greenhouse gas monitoring framework alongside NASA, ESA, and JAXA,” adding, “In the future, many countries will be able to make use of NarSha’s data.”

Kim Geuknam, System Integration Team Leader at Naraspace, said, “We received evaluations that our hyperspectral payload, ultra-small satellite system, methane retrieval algorithms, and overall data utilization approach are all aligned with efforts to address the climate crisis,” and added, “As a producer of satellite data with strong public value, we will make a tangible contribution to global climate action.”

NarSha’s mission design, observation plans, and data utilization approach will be shared with the international community through the CEOS platform going forward. The data produced are expected to be used in a wide range of climate response projects, including the formulation of carbon-neutral policies in each country and assessments of the implementation of the Paris Agreement.