NYC – Billionaire and Amazon’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, was funding a methane-tracking satellite which has been lost in space, according to the operators of the satellite. The cost of the satellite stands at $88 million (£64m), the name of the satellite is MethaneSAT, which was launched into space in March 2024, the aim of the satellite was to measure methane emissions in oil and gas producing regions. However, the operators lost signals coming from the satellite on 20 June.
A US non-profit organization responsible for the operation of the satellite revealed that all contact with the satellite had been lost and most probably can not be recovered. The last known location of the satellite was in Europe over Norway. The non-profit organization handled the task of developing and launching the satellite into space, for which the billionaire backed the funding of $100m from the Bezos Earth Fund, a philanthropic initiative launched by the American billionaire.
Despite the satellite’s loss, the EDF remained positive about the space mission’s results. In the released statement, EDF stated that due to MethaneSAT, EDF has discovered key findings about methane emissions, such as the distribution and volume of methane being released from oil and gas production.
The statement further added that EDF has developed the ability to interpret methane measurements and translate them into the volume of methane released, making the discovery valuable for other space missions. According to reports, it is estimated that methane emissions are responsible for nearly one-third of human-induced temperature rises all over the globe.
Equipped with advanced spectrometers, MethaneSAT can detect even low methane levels over a large area, making it one of the most sophisticated methane-tracking satellites globally.
In May, the leader of the mission, Steven Hamburg, added a post on LinkedIn praising MethaneSAT’s remarkable achievement in making key discoveries that led to the revelation that in many areas around the world, the methane levels were 10 times what was reported. It is pertinent to mention that EDF has yet to rule on the possibility of launching another satellite.
