Artist’s rendering of the MethaneSAT satellite
Environmental Defense Fund/NASA
The MethaneSAT satellite, which was anticipated to revolutionize tracking methane emissions, has experienced a loss of contact less than a year and a half after its launch.
MethaneSAT stated that it “probably cannot recover.” A statement from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the non-profit managing the satellite, confirmed this loss as a significant setback in efforts to monitor and mitigate methane emissions, which are responsible for a third of the anthropogenic increase in global temperatures.
Upon its launch in March 2024, MethaneSAT contributed to a growing constellation of satellites aimed at detecting invisible methane emissions from principal sources like oil and gas facilities, livestock operations, landfills, and wetlands. While several satellites focus on specific emissions, MethaneSAT is uniquely equipped to assess methane concentrations on a broader scale, making it particularly effective in identifying emissions from fossil fuel extraction.
This capability was designed for estimating methane emissions in well-known fossil fuel production areas, such as the Permian Basin in the southwestern United States, as well as aiding efforts to identify and contain significant sources of potent greenhouse gases.
“That’s a considerable loss,” commented Jason McKeever from Ghgsat, a Canadian company that intended to utilize MethaneSAT data for strategic guidance on satellite deployment. “MethaneSAT was uniquely positioned in its designated mid-orbit.”
The satellite, which cost nearly $100 million to develop and launch, began its data collection in June 2024 and produced its first detection of methane in the oil and gas basin by November 2024. Researchers were exploring automation for data processing; the satellite, which orbits the Earth 15 times a day, promised near real-time emissions data.
“We had just begun a routine of releasing data every two weeks,” stated John Coifman of the Environmental Defense Fund. “The data produced by the satellites was incredibly valuable.”
According to an EDF announcement, mission operations lost communication with the satellite on June 20th. “After exploring all avenues to reestablish contact, we regret to inform that the satellite has lost power,” the statement read.
The MethaneSAT team is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. Meanwhile, they continue to disseminate the data collected prior to the loss of power, alongside the algorithms developed for analysis.
“We are considering various options,” Coifman remarked, indicating that reactivating another satellite remains a possibility.
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Source: www.newscientist.com
