Burps in space: new satellite to track global methane emissions

New Zealand to be mission control for MethaneSAT' which will collect data on emissions from bovine flatulence and leaking oil and gas pipelines

In space, no-one can hear you belch - at least, not for the time being. New Zealand has announced mission control for a new satellite that will orbit the earth observing methane produced by burps or other flatulence from cows.

The digestive processes of its 6.3 million-strong cow population are among New Zealand's most critical environmental problems. Agriculture is one of the country's biggest producers of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global heating and climate breakdown.