A pioneering climate satellite designed to track methane emissions from space has gone missing, dealing a major blow to global efforts to curb one of the most potent greenhouse gases.
The $88 million MethaneSat satellite—developed by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and backed by Google and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos—has lost contact with Earth just one year after launch. The EDF confirmed this week that communication with the spacecraft was lost ten days ago and is “likely not recoverable.”
Launched aboard a SpaceX rocket in 2023, MethaneSat was equipped with some of the world’s most advanced sensors designed to detect even low-level methane emissions. Its primary mission was to collect detailed, transparent data over a five-year period to help track leaks and releases from oil, gas, agriculture and landfill sites—sectors responsible for the bulk of global methane emissions.
Methane is 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period, making it a critical target for global climate mitigation efforts. Despite international pledges to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030, global levels continue to rise year-on-year, with current satellite systems offering only partial or privately controlled visibility.
The loss of MethaneSat—one of the few methane-monitoring satellites with publicly accessible data—represents a significant setback for environmental scientists and regulators. EDF said the satellite had been a key part of efforts to “fill gaps between existing tools,” adding that some of the software used in the project may still be salvageable for future missions.
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