Methane leaks are a climate problem. These satellites could help find them.

A new fleet of precision satellites are now enabling climate solutions, too: helping us spot, and stop, pollution.

A new satellite called Tanager-1 is a collaboration between NASA ’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory , the Earth -imaging company Planet Labs , the environmental nonprofit Carbon Mapper , and others.

MethaneSAT provides the equivalent of a landscape view, and can point out where there's a flurry of bird activity.

MethaneSAT, the gas-detecting device launched in March , is the latest in a growing armada of satellites designed to detect methane.

Methane has a warming potential about 80 times higher than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.

The data the satellite generates in the coming months will be publicly accessible for environmental advocates, oil and gas companies, and regulators alike.

Carbon Mapper’s Tanager-1 satellite was launched in March .

MethaneSAT uses infrared spectrometer to reveal the infrared signature the gas leaves behind.

This image shows methane emissions from a landfill in Georgia , detected by aerial surveillance by plane.

Read: about how much methane comes from landfills and why composting could offer a solution.