MethaneSAT Lost in Orbit After Major Climate Findings

MethaneSAT, an $88 million methane-tracking satellite developed by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) with backing from Jeff Bezos, the New Zealand government, and other partners, lost power and contact on June 20, 2025, and is considered unrecoverable. Launched in March 2024, the satellite aimed to provide transparent, real-time data on global methane emissions from oil and gas operations. During its brief operational period, MethaneSAT revealed that methane emissions in some regions were much higher than previously reported and helped develop new satellite data interpretation algorithms. The mission was the first of its kind led by an environmental nonprofit and included collaborations with organizations like Google and Harvard University. While the loss is a setback for climate monitoring, EDF and its partners will continue to process and use the collected data and pursue further methane reduction efforts. The precise cause of the satellite's failure remains under investigation.