A satellite backed by Jeff Bezos got lost in space during a climate change mission
WELLINGTON: According to New Zealand authorities on Wednesday, a satellite supported by billionaire Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, went missing in orbit while completing a crucial mission related to climate change.
Wellington, together with the US-based Environmental Defense Fund, provided funding for the MethaneSAT space probe, which was designed to study greenhouse gas emissions with “unprecedented resolution.”
The satellite, beset by technological issues, has ceased communicating with its operators on Earth.
“Clearly, this is a disappointing development,” New Zealand Space Agency senior officer Andrew Johnson said.
“As those who work in the space sector know, space is inherently challenging, and every attempt, successful or not, pushes the boundaries of what we know and what we’re capable of.”
The Environmental Defense Fund, which spearheaded the project, described it as “difficult news” but said that it will continue to monitor methane levels.
MethaneSAT was created to quantify emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas that traps heat in the earth’s atmosphere and contributes to climate change.
Accurate estimates of the methane emissions released by oil and gas operations worldwide have proved notoriously difficult to obtain.
“It was one of the most advanced methane-tracking satellites in space, measuring methane emissions in oil and gas producing regions across the world,” claimed the team behind MethaneSAT.
“Amazing”
Initial data obtained by the satellite was described as “remarkable” by project head Steven Hamburg.
“Recent measurements in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico revealed emissions three to five times higher than estimated by the US Environmental Protection Agency, while emissions observed in the South Caspian region are over 10 times higher than reported,” Hamburg posted on LinkedIn.
In March 2024, a SpaceX rocket shot from California sent MethaneSAT into orbit.
According to a statement from the MethaneSAT team, controllers lost communication with the satellite for the first time on June 20.
“Not recoverable”
They acknowledged that it was “likely not recoverable” after losing all power on Monday of this week.
“The engineering team is conducting a thorough investigation into the loss of communication,” MethaneSAT said.
“Time will be needed for this. We’ll share what we discover.
MethaneSAT praised the mission as a “remarkable success in terms of scientific and technological accomplishment” despite its shorter-than-anticipated lifetime.
Bezos, the creator of Amazon, contributed over $100 million to the initiative via his charitable Earth Fund.
After a series of technical difficulties, the satellite finally failed.
Without warning, it kept going into sleep, or standby, mode, requiring engineers to do a time-consuming reset each time. It also lost one of its three thrusters.