AIRMO builds drone-to-satellite system to catch methane leaks from space
What's the deal? German spacetech startup AIRMO is building a methane-monitoring platform for the energy industry, combining data from drones, aircraft, and satellites. The system detects methane leaks, quantifies emissions, and identifies sources so oil and gas companies can fix leaks and meet regulations.
Why now? The International Energy Agency estimates about 200 billion cubic metres of natural gas is lost each year through leaks, venting, and flaring — enough to cover roughly two-thirds of the EU's annual gas consumption.
What's the endgame? AIRMO, founded in 2022, is developing two space instruments: a compact microlidar that measures aerosols and dust particles, and a short-wave infrared spectrometer. Combined, they detect and quantify methane emissions "better than existing commercial systems," said chief executive officer and co-founder Daria Stepanova.
How does it work? AIRMO uses small satellites to keep costs down. "Our customers want to see as much data as possible and have continuous monitoring of their assets, but not with crazy overheads," Stepanova said.
Before launching its satellite, the company is testing its instruments on drones and aircraft, mounting sensors beneath specially equipped planes that fly over facilities.
The problem it targets: Much methane monitoring is still manual, with workers walking pipelines using handheld devices and outdated cameras. "Imagine a huge facility covering several square kilometres. You have to physically walk around it," Stepanova said. "It's expensive, painful, and takes a long time. It's not digitised."
The largest emissions occur upstream, where oil and gas are extracted and processed, and some leaks are already big enough to spot from space. Smaller leaks around pipelines and storage need more granular monitoring. "You need to address all of them to have an impact," Stepanova said.
The team: AIRMO employs 34 people drawn from spacetech, oil and gas, and other sectors. Its chief technology officer has helped launch around 50 satellites. Stepanova, a space engineer, previously served as CTO of German Orbital SystemsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and co-founded several startups.
The signal: As regulators tighten methane rules, the industry faces pressure to move from costly manual checks toward continuous monitoring. AIRMO is betting that a low-cost, small-satellite approach — backed by drone and aircraft testing — can make that shift commercially viable.
Read more: Tech.eu
Image credit: Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
