The Netherlands does the TANGO

Last year, the Netherlands presented its Long-Term Space Agenda, outlining its commitment to continued investment in space technology for the benefit of climate, science, societal applications, security and the economy. TANGO is a direct reflection of these ambitions.

TANGO is funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs through the space budget allocated to ESA's FutureEO program.

What is TANGO?

The TANGO (Twin ANthropogenic Greenhouse gas Observers) mission consists of a pair of small satellites flying in tandem in Earth's orbit. They will measure emissions of the greenhouse gases methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) with high sensitivity. The satellites are scheduled for launch in 2028, with the Netherlands responsible for their design and construction. The Dutch consortium tasked with realizing TANGO consists of SRON, KNMI, TNO and ISISPACE.

The mission will make a significant contribution to climate research and the energy transition, as governments, scientists and companies can use TANGO to determine emissions from sources such as factories, power plants and gas facilities. Mapping these emissions is essential for establishing climate and environmental regulations to reduce them. TANGO can subsequently be used to monitor compliance with current and future regulations.

Who is doing what?

SRON: development of the sensors that will measure methane and carbon dioxide, and, together with KNMI, holds scientific leadership of the mission.

KNMI: shares scientific leadership of the mission with SRON.

TNO: leads the technical design and construction of the measuring instruments.

NSO: coordinates the integration of TANGO within ESA's FutureEO program.

ISISPACE: is responsible for the satellites and leads the implementation.

We will need to be patient: the launch is currently scheduled for 2028.