On February 25, 2026, Berlin-based AIRMO and Bulgarian satellite manufacturer EnduroSat announced a strategic partnership to deploy a dedicated methane monitoring satellite in early 2027.
The mission aims to address a critical gap in greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting by providing independent, facility-level emissions data for the oil and gas, mining, and agricultural sectors. Under the agreement, EnduroSat will provide the end-to-end “Space Service,” including the spacecraft bus, payload integration, and mission operations, while AIRMO focuses on the delivery of emissions intelligence and analytics.
Addressing the Methane Transparency Gap
The initiative comes in response to tightening global regulations, including the EU Methane Regulation enacted in 2024, which mandates stricter measurement and reporting for energy importers. Current monitoring often relies on inconsistent self-reporting or ground sensors with limited geographic reach. By moving to orbit, AIRMO intends to capture a portion of the estimated $100 billion in lost revenue annually attributed to undetected methane leaks. The 2027 mission serves as the “pathfinder” for a planned constellation of more than 12 satellites designed to provide high-temporal resolution global monitoring.
Technical Payload and Platform Efficiency
The satellite will utilize EnduroSat’s FRAME-15 modular platform, a software-flexible architecture that eliminates the need for mission-specific engineering. This allows for rapid integration of AIRMO’s specialized dual-sensing suite, which combines high-resolution spectrometry with LiDAR to enhance detection sensitivity.
- SWIR Spectrometer: A Short-Wave Infrared pushbroom spectrometer providing a ground sampling resolution of ~50m from a 500km altitude.
- Micro-LiDAR: An integrated LiDAR system designed to significantly increase the accuracy of methane column detection beyond standard spectrometer capabilities.
- Manufacturing Speed: EnduroSat’s recently opened 17,500 sqm facility enables the assembly and testing of satellites in as little as eight hours, supporting AIRMO’s rapid constellation scaling goals.
Executive Perspectives on Mission Execution
Daria Stepanova, CEO and Co-founder of AIRMO, highlighted the importance of mission velocity, “We needed a partner who could match our pace and our ambition. EnduroSat brings exactly the technical depth and mission execution experience we need to get our payload to orbit on schedule and performing to spec.”
Raycho Raychev, Founder and CEO of EnduroSat, emphasized the shift toward space-as-a-service, “By removing complexity from satellite missions, we enable companies to focus on what they do best—turning space data into real-world intelligence. High-quality emissions monitoring is becoming foundational infrastructure.”
Global Deployment
The ESPA-class satellite is scheduled for launch in early 2027, with the first commercial data products expected shortly after commissioning. Initial priority markets include the high-emission regions of Central Asia, the Middle East, and European gas infrastructure. Following the success of this first mission, AIRMO plans to scale the constellation to provide persistent monitoring of global “super-emitters” by 2028.
