Greenhouse gas monitoring

Expertise housed in ABB’s measurement and analytics factory in Québec, Canada, has made the facility a world-leader in building ultra-sensitive optical sensors which can detect emissions of methane and other greenhouse gases from space.

Established in 1973 and owned by ABB since 1999, the Québec facility is now one of the largest suppliers of this type of sensor. It has provided solutions tailored to the needs of the global space industry since its inception, collaborating with major space agencies to offer services such as weather forecasting, climate analysis, earth observation, space exploration and astronomy.

The GOSAT-2 satellite launched by Japan in 2018 and its 2009 predecessor GOSAT-1, use ABB Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer technology to monitor greenhouse gases. Their data is used by Japan’s National Institute for Environmental Study (NIES), to produce detailed maps highlighting greenhouse gas distribution across the globe.

A major advantage of space-based gas analysis is that it enables unbiased reporting across jurisdictions – crucial to verifying climate commitments. 

ABB’s optical sensors offer 100 times higher resolution than comparable technologies in space, precisely locating emissions sources.

Did you know…ABB-built optical sensors on board satellites monitor methane gas emissions across the earth?

Is there life on Mars?

Searching for evidence of life beyond earth remains a goal for many space science programs, including notable projects to which ABB has contributed.

The NASA James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched in 2021, aiming to explore the history of the universe more deeply than any previous space mission. 

ABB Optical Ground Support Equipment (OGSE), developed by our engineers in Canada, played a vital role in the ability of the JWST to provide photographic evidence of distant galaxies. These images have been transmitted back to earth from JWST’s solar orbit 1.5million kilometers away, since July 2022.

Our expertise in building space instruments has also been utilized on the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope (“Roman”), which is scheduled for launch in 2028. A primary mission of Roman is to discover planets with earth-like properties, capable of supporting life. Space imagery experts NüVü partnered with ABB to build camera equipment that will fly onboard the telescope, and help capture the first space-borne images of planets outside our solar system. Roman’s photographic evidence will help isolate the light of newly discovered planets in order to look for signatures of liquid water, the key ingredient for supporting life.

Binding Curiosity and Perseverance on Mars

Faced with a thin atmosphere, high levels of carbon dioxide, ultraviolet light, extreme temperatures and radiation, two NASA rovers are continuing their exploration of Mars, with the help of ABB. Our Ty-Rap™ cable ties used by NASA are made from a flourine-based plastic, ETFE, which has high resistance to the extreme conditions encountered on Mars.

Perseverance landed on Mars in February 2021, joining Curiosity, which landed in August 2012. Both use high-performance ABB Ty-Rap™ cable ties to fasten interior and exterior conduit and components and to secure research and lab equipment. Their predecessors, Spirit and Opportunity, also used Ty-Rap™ ties.

Faced with a thin atmosphere, high levels of carbon dioxide, ultraviolet light, extreme temperatures and radiation, two NASA rovers are continuing their exploration of Mars, with the help of ABB. Our Ty-Rap™ cable ties used by NASA are made from a flourine-based plastic, ETFE, which has high resistance to the extreme conditions encountered on Mars.

Perseverance landed on Mars in February 2021, joining Curiosity, which landed in August 2012. Both use high-performance ABB Ty-Rap™ cable ties to fasten interior and exterior conduit and components and to secure research and lab equipment. Their predecessors, Spirit and Opportunity, also used Ty-Rap™ ties.

Powering NASA's transonic wind tunnel

• The life of NASA’s National Transonic facility (NTF) wind tunnel has been extended by at least 10 years, thanks to an ABB modernization program.
• The tunnel is used to optimize aircraft performance and fuel consumption by mimicking flight conditions at high altitudes and close to the speed of sound.
• It has been used to test the Boeing 777, the Space Shuttle and its booster rocket.
• NTF’s 101-megawatt drive was supplied by ABB in 1997 and has now been modernized to replace key components inside the existing footprint with the latest ABB state-of-art technology. 
• The NTF can simulate a wider range of flying conditions than any other wind tunnel, enabling engineers to gain unique insight and hone aircraft designs.

ABB’s deep commitment to space science is reflected by the wide-ranging, pioneering projects highlighted here. Only through constant innovation and a willingness to explore the unknown can we endeavour to increase understanding of our planet and those beyond.