Bezos-Backed Satellite for Tracking Methane Leaks Disappears

• Methane is significantly more powerful than carbon dioxide over the short term.
• Reducing methane leaks is an effective strategy for combating global warming.
• The Environmental Defense Fund remains committed to monitoring emissions.

According to an announcement on Tuesday, an $88 million satellite developed with support from billionaire Jeff Bezos, which was designed to track emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane from the oil and gas sector, has gone missing in space.

The MethaneSAT has been gathering emissions data and images from drilling sites, pipelines, and processing plants worldwide since its launch in March, but it veered off course about ten days ago, as reported by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the organization behind the initiative.

Its last known position was above Svalbard, Norway, and EDF stated that recovery is unlikely since the satellite has lost power.

“We view this as a setback, not a failure,” commented Amy Middleton, senior vice president at EDF. “We’ve made significant strides and learned a great deal; without taking this chance, these insights wouldn’t have been possible.”

The launch of MethaneSAT marked a significant achievement in EDF’s multi-year endeavor to hold over 120 countries accountable for their commitments made in 2021 to reduce methane emissions.

The satellite also aimed to assist in enforcing commitments made by 50 oil and gas companies during the COP28 climate summit in Dubai in December 2023, where they pledged to eliminate methane emissions and routine gas flaring.

Methane is an exceptionally potent greenhouse gas, exhibiting 80 times the heat-trapping ability of carbon dioxide over a 20-year span.

Scientists assert that sealing leaks from oil and gas well systems is one of the quickest methods to address climate change.

While MethaneSAT is not the only satellite designed to provide methane emission data, its supporters argue it offers more detailed insights and collaborated with Google to develop a publicly accessible global emissions map.

Engineers Investigate

EDF has reported the lost satellite to federal authorities, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Federal Communications Commission, and the U.S. Space Force.

The total cost of building and launching the satellite was $88 million. The EDF received a $100 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund in 2020 and additional substantial support from Arnold Ventures, the Robertson Foundation, the TED Audacious Project, and EDF contributors. Collaboration with the New Zealand Space Agency was also part of the initiative.

EDF indicated it has insurance to cover the loss, and its engineers are currently investigating the situation.

Despite the setback, the organization will continue to utilize its resources, including aircraft equipped with methane detection spectrometers, to search for methane leaks.

It remains uncertain whether a new satellite will be launched, but EDF believes that MethaneSAT has demonstrated the capability of detecting total methane emissions—even at minimal levels—over extensive areas.

Despite efforts to promote transparency regarding emissions, a United Nations report from last year noted that “super-emitters” of methane often fail to respond when alerted about leaks.

Pressure on these entities has diminished, especially after the Trump administration effectively dismantled a U.S. program focused on collecting greenhouse gas data from major polluters, along with the rescinding of Biden-era regulations aimed at reducing methane emissions.