How do you detect methane leaks from space? And once you do – what comes next?
In this episode, Dr. Ilse Aben shares the story of TROPOMI, the Dutch-led satellite instrument that scans the Earth daily for greenhouse gases. We explore how column measurements are turned into emissions, the power of’tip-and-cue’ collaboration with commercial satellites, and how UN-backed systems are turning satellite data into climate action on the ground.

• SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research: https://www.sron.nl/

• TROPOMI: https://www.tropomi.eu/

• IMEO MARS Program: https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/climate-action/what-we-do/imeo

• GHGSat: https://www.ghgsat.com/

• Global Methane Hub: https://www.globalmethanehub.org/

Episode Outline01:00–04:00 | Scientific Background04:00–09:15 | From SCIAMACHY to TROPOMI09:15–16:00 | How Satellites Measure Methane16:00–20:00 | Methane Sources Explained20:00–25:00 | Diffuse vs. Point Sources25:00–30:00 | Super Emitters and the Tip-and-Cue Model30:00–35:00 | IMEO & Global Mitigation via Satellites35:00–39:00 | Waste Emissions and Monitoring in the Global South39:00–43:00 | What’s Next in Satellite Methane Monitoring43:00–End | Final ReflectionsKeywords

greenhouse gases, carbon sense, international cooperation, physics, spectroscopy, TROPOMI, satellite measurements