NASA Features Momentick: Satellite Intelligence for Smarter Methane Management

At Momentick, we believe methane management should be about more than regulatory reporting. It should help operators reduce losses, improve operational efficiency, and make better decisions across their assets.

That’s why we’re proud to be featured in a recent NASA Spinoff editorial highlighting how we use satellite imagery to detect and quantify methane emissions at scale. The recognition underscores the role satellite intelligence plays in helping the energy industry see what was previously invisible.

The Cost of What You Can’t See

Roughly 3% of captured natural gas is lost through leaks before it ever reaches use, representing an estimated $60 billion in annual losses globally. Much of this loss goes undetected for long periods of time simply because methane cannot be seen by the naked eye.

By continuously monitoring infrastructure from space, we help operators identify emissions early, prioritize response, and prevent small issues from turning into major operational and financial issues.

Turning Satellite Data Into Actionable Intelligence

We process imagery from multiple Earth-observing satellites, with Landsat playing a pivotal role alongside ESA’s Sentinel constellation. These programs provide frequent, global coverage and open-access data, enabling us to build a scalable detection and quantification pipeline.

Using proprietary image-processing algorithms, we analyze a wide spectrum of frequencies affected by methane and compare them with unaffected ranges. Within hours, this process reveals:

• The presence of methane plumes

• Their concentration

• Their emission rate, with quantified confidence

• The source of emission

We can measure emissions as low as ~750 pounds per hour and detect smaller emissions down to 225 pounds per hour using hyperspectral satellites. Confidence estimates allow operators to distinguish routine operational releases from abnormal leaks that require attention.

Why Landsat Is Central to Our Detection Funnel

Landsat is a cornerstone of our satellite funnel, particularly for offshore detection.

Offshore methane emissions can reach hundreds of thousands of pounds per hour, yet they are notoriously difficult to detect due to low light reflection over deep water.

Landsat’s spectral bandwidths and light exposure characteristics give it a distinct advantage in these environments, complementing higher-resolution systems. Momentick combines multiple satellite sources and creates a robust, layered detection approach that works across geographies, asset types, and operating conditions.

Landsat 9 satellite. Photo credit: NASA

Driving Real Operational Efficiency Beyond Compliance

Regulatory requirements are part of operating reality in oil and gas. But compliance alone doesn’t fix inefficiency. What operators actually need is focus.

Instead of scanning hundreds of miles of pipeline indiscriminately or deploying drones and field crews without clear priorities, our customers use Momentick to:

• Direct ground teams precisely where they’re needed

• Prioritize the leaks that matter most

• Reduce product loss and unplanned downtime

• Lower the total cost of monitoring and inspection

For small and mid-size operators, this delivers enterprise-grade methane intelligence without building in-house systems. For pipeline operators, it replaces fragmented monitoring efforts with a continuous, data-driven operating model.

Building a Scalable Emissions Intelligence Platform

In addition to oil and gas producers and pipeline operators, we work with:

• Insurers, assessing emissions-related risk

• Governments that are shaping policy based on current data

Looking ahead, the same satellite-based capabilities we’ve built for energy can support waste management, landfills, and coal mines, extending the impact of our platform even further.

Leveraging available Landsat data allows us to keep our pricing accessible while scaling globally, a core part of our business model from day one.

NASA’s recognition reinforces what we’re building at Momentick: a satellite-powered intelligence layer that helps operators move from awareness to action that is faster, smarter, and more cost-effective.