Dutch partners announce construction of climate satellite TANGO

TANGO consists of two agile satellites, each weighing 25 kg, orbiting the Earth together. One satellite measures CO₂ and methane emissions, while the other measures nitrogen dioxide. This way, TANGO captures emissions from 150 to 300 large industrial facilities and power plants every four days. The result is imagery of emission plumes with a resolution of 300 x 300 meters.

Dutch partners

TANGO is an ESA mission developed through a Dutch consortium. ISISPACE leads the implementation and is responsible for the satellites, launch, and operations. TNO develops and builds the instruments that measure CO₂, methane, and NO₂, and is working on an emission atlas for greenhouse gas emissions. SRON and KNMI provide scientific leadership for the project and develop the algorithms to derive gas concentrations. SRON also develops detector electronics and the ground segment for operational data processing.

TANGO is an ESA Scout mission, developed within ESA’s FutureEO programme. As an ESA Member State, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs contribute funding to the mission. The mission is also a result of the advice and implementation of space policy by the Netherlands Space Office.

Opportunities for the Netherlands

The Netherlands has held a strong international position in earth observation and satellite missions for over 40 years. The development of TANGO is further proof of this. The construction and launch of TANGO not only offer opportunities for Dutch industry but also help the Netherlands strengthen its international leadership in atmospheric Earth observation and establish a unique position in providing climate data. The contract for TANGO between ESA and main contractor ISISPACE was signed on June 26 in Vienna during the ESA Living Planet Symposium.