Bezos-Backed Satellite Monitoring Methane Now Off the Grid

Significant efforts aimed at monitoring and reducing methane leaks from the oil and gas sector face a major setback as a pivotal satellite goes silent.

A crucial satellite designed to oversee methane emissions worldwide is currently non-communicative, jeopardizing a highly supported project by Jeff Bezos and notable tech figures.

Methane, found abundantly in so-called natural gas, is a greenhouse gas far more effective than carbon dioxide at causing global warming. Routinely, this gas escapes unnoticed from oil wells, pipelines, and other related infrastructures. MethaneSat was instated to detect these escapes from space to pressure industries into minimizing emissions.

The satellite, as of June 20th, has ceased communications. It has lost its power supply and is deemed irrecoverable according to an update from the Environmental Defense Fund, which orchestrated the project's development.

The satellite's creation and launch came with a hefty price tag of $88 million, heavily supported by a $100 million infusion from the Bezos Earth Fund. Its initial launch took place in March of last year, carried by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, rather than a Blue Origin launch vehicle. This event was also notable for being the inaugural government-financed mission launched by the New Zealand Space Agency, who handled operational oversight and participated in an atmospheric science initiative.

Pre-Satellite Challenges and Breakthroughs

Prior to the advent of MethaneSat, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) had to rely on ground-level and airborne methods to detect methane concentrations. Such laborious techniques revealed that estimates by the US Environmental Protection Agency fell short by 60 percent for emissions recorded between 2012 and 2018.

MethaneSat's technology promised revolutionary efficiency, surveying in seconds what previously took hours via aircraft. Its rapid orbit of Earth every 95 minutes was meant to encompass oil and gas production zones comprising over 80 percent of the world's output.

Collaborative Efforts and Future Steps

Google also partnered with EDF in the ambitious goal to monitor methane emissions. Utilizing similar methods that allow Google Maps to distinguish sidewalks and street indicators in satellite views, Google's AI was being trained to recognize elements like well pads and storage facilities.

Despite the setback, EDF remains committed, continuing its analysis of data previously collected by MethaneSat, with hopes of applying findings to strategies targeting methane emission reductions.