Abstract. The demonstration satellite GHGSat-D or “Claire”, launched on June 21, 2016, is the first in a planned constellation of small satellites designed and operated by GHGSat, Inc. to measure greenhouse gas emissions at the facility scale from space. Its instrument measures methane concentrations by collecting and spectrally decomposing solar backscattered radiation in the shortwave infrared using a compact fixed-cavity Fabry-Perot imaging spectrometer. The effective spatial resolution of 50 × 50 m2 over targeted 12 × 12 km2 scenes is unprecedented for a space-based gas sensing spectrometer. Here we report on the instrument design, forward model and retrieval procedure, and present several examples of retrieved methane emissions observed over industrial facilities. We discuss the sources of error limiting the performance of GHGSat-D and identify improvements for our follow-on satellites. Claire's mission has proven that small satellites can be used to identify and quantify methane emissions from industrial facilities, enabling operators to take prompt corrective action.