$88m pollution-tracking satellite missing in space

A satellite called MethaneSat, which cost $88 million to build and launch, has gone missing in space. This satellite was designed to help scientists and governments track methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that is responsible for about a third of the warming caused by humans. Methane is much stronger than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, even though it does not last as long. MethaneSat was launched last year on a SpaceX rocket, with support from big names like Google and billionaire Jeff Bezos. The plan was for the satellite to collect data for five years, helping to identify and reduce methane leaks from oil and gas production, farming, and landfills.

Unfortunately, the Environmental Defense Fund, the organization in charge of MethaneSat, announced that they lost contact with the satellite ten days ago. They are investigating what went wrong, but they believe the satellite has lost power and cannot be recovered. This is a major setback for efforts to fight climate change, as MethaneSat was one of the few satellites that made its data available to the public. Most other satellites that monitor methane are run by private companies, which means their data is not always shared openly. This lack of transparency makes it difficult to know which companies or countries are the biggest polluters.

Methane is a particularly dangerous greenhouse gas. Over a 100-year period, it is 28 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. Even though there is an international goal to cut methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030, the amount of methane in the atmosphere keeps rising. The main sources are oil and gas operations, agriculture, and decomposing food in landfills. MethaneSat was equipped with some of the most sensitive instruments in the world, able to detect even small leaks and so-called 'super-emitters. ' Google was using artificial intelligence to process the satellite's data and create a global map of methane emissions. Now that MethaneSat is likely lost, it will be much harder to track methane and hold polluters accountable. Some of the software developed for the satellite can still be used, but it is too soon to say if a replacement satellite will be launched. Other sources of methane data, like the TROPOMI instrument on the European Space Agency's Sentinel-5P satellite, are still working, but their missions may end soon. This makes it even more challenging to monitor and reduce methane emissions, which is crucial for slowing down climate change.