Latest news with #Earth-bound
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Science
- Time of India
Methane-tracking satellite backed by Bezos lost in space
Representative Image An $88 million (€77.4 million) satellite backed by Jeff Bezos has disappeared in space while conducting a climate change mission, New Zealand officials said on Wednesday. MethaneSAT , which was designed to evaluate greenhouse gas emissions with "unprecedented resolution," was also funded by Wellington and the US-based Environmental Defense Fund . However, the satellite was plagued with technical problems and recently stopped responding to its Earth-bound controllers. "Clearly, this is a disappointing development," said Andrew Johnson, a senior official at the New Zealand Space Agency. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo "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." Project not in vain, EDF argues: The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), which was in charge of the project, said it was "difficult news" but would not relent in its efforts to track methane. "We're seeing this as a setback, not a failure," Amy Middleton, senior vice president at the EDF, told the Reuters news agency. "We've made so much progress and so much has been learned that if we hadn't taken this risk, we wouldn't have any of these learnings." The launch of MethaneSAT in March of last year was a milestone in a years-long campaign to hold some 120 countries accountable to their 2021 pledge to curb methane emissions . It also sought to help enforce a further pledge from 50 oil and gas firms made at the Dubai COP28 climate summit in December 2023 to eliminate methane and routine gas flaring. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Scientists say capping leaks from oil and gas wells and equipment is, therefore, one of the fastest ways to start tackling global warming. The EDF had received a $100 million funding boost from the Bezos Earth Fund in 2020 and received other financial support from Arnold Ventures, the Robertson Foundation and the TED Audacious Project and EDF donors. The mission was also carried out in partnership with the New Zealand Space Agency.
NDTV
12 hours ago
- Science
- NDTV
Jeff Bezos-Backed Satellite On Climate Change Mission Lost In Space
A satellite backed by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has been lost in space while carrying out an important climate change mission, New Zealand officials said Wednesday. Designed to measure greenhouse gas emissions with "unprecedented resolution", the MethaneSAT space probe was also funded by Wellington and the US-based Environmental Defence Fund. Plagued with technical problems, the satellite recently stopped responding to its Earth-bound controllers. "Clearly, this is a disappointing development," said Andrew Johnson, a senior official at the New Zealand Space Agency. "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 Defence Fund, which led the project, said it was "difficult news" but would not be the end of its methane-tracking efforts. MethaneSAT was designed to measure emissions of the potent greenhouse gas, which fuels climate change by trapping heat in the planet's atmosphere. It has proven notoriously difficult to get accurate estimates of the methane emissions belched out by oil and gas projects around the globe. "It was one of the most advanced methane tracking satellites in space, measuring methane emissions in oil and gas producing regions across the world," the MethaneSAT team said. 'Remarkable' Project lead Steven Hamburg said initial data gleaned by the satellite was "remarkable". "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 wrote on LinkedIn. MethaneSAT was launched into space in March 2024 on the back of a SpaceX rocket fired from California. Controllers first lost contact with the satellite on June 20, the MethaneSAT team said in a statement. 'Not recoverable' They confirmed it had lost all power on Monday this week and was "likely not recoverable". "The engineering team is conducting a thorough investigation into the loss of communication," MethaneSAT said. "This is expected to take time. We will share what we learn." Despite its shorter-than-expected lifespan, MethaneSAT hailed the mission as a "remarkable success in terms of scientific and technological accomplishment". Amazon founder Bezos pumped more than $100 million into the project through his philanthropic Earth Fund. The satellite eventually succumbed after overcoming a string of technical glitches. It repeatedly entered a sleep, or stand-by, mode without prompting -- forcing engineers to perform a lengthy reset each time. One of its three thrusters also failed.
Economic Times
14 hours ago
- Science
- Economic Times
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos-backed methane-tracking satellite lost in space
Agencies Image used for representative purpose only Wellington: A satellite backed by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has been lost in space while carrying out an important climate change mission, New Zealand officials said Wednesday. Designed to measure greenhouse gas emissions with "unprecedented resolution", the MethaneSAT space probe was also funded by Wellington and the US-based Environmental Defense Fund. Plagued with technical problems, the satellite recently stopped responding to its Earth-bound controllers. "Clearly, this is a disappointing development," said Andrew Johnson, a senior official at the New Zealand Space Agency. "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 led the project, said it was "difficult news" but would not be the end of its methane-tracking efforts. MethaneSAT was designed to measure emissions of the potent greenhouse gas, which fuels climate change by trapping heat in the planet's atmosphere. It has proven notoriously difficult to get accurate estimates of the methane emissions belched out by oil and gas projects around the globe. "It was one of the most advanced methane tracking satellites in space, measuring methane emissions in oil and gas producing regions across the world," the MethaneSAT team said. 'Remarkable' Project lead Steven Hamburg said initial data gleaned by the satellite was "remarkable". "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 wrote on LinkedIn. MethaneSAT was launched into space in March 2024 on the back of a SpaceX rocket fired from California. Controllers first lost contact with the satellite on June 20, the MethaneSAT team said in a statement. 'Not recoverable' They confirmed it had lost all power on Monday this week and was "likely not recoverable". "The engineering team is conducting a thorough investigation into the loss of communication," MethaneSAT said. "This is expected to take time. We will share what we learn." Despite its shorter-than-expected lifespan, MethaneSAT hailed the mission as a "remarkable success in terms of scientific and technological accomplishment". Amazon founder Bezos pumped more than US$100 million into the project through his philanthropic Earth Fund. The satellite eventually succumbed after overcoming a string of technical glitches. It repeatedly entered a sleep, or stand-by, mode without prompting -- forcing engineers to perform a lengthy reset each time. One of its three thrusters also failed.
Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Jeff Bezos-backed MethaneSAT satellite lost in space during climate mission
A satellite backed by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has been lost in space while carrying out an important climate change mission, New Zealand officials said Wednesday. Amazon founder Bezos pumped more than US$100 million into the project through his philanthropic Earth Fund.(REUTERS file) Designed to measure greenhouse gas emissions with "unprecedented resolution", the MethaneSAT space probe was also funded by Wellington and the US-based Environmental Defense Fund. Plagued with technical problems, the satellite recently stopped responding to its Earth-bound controllers. "Clearly, this is a disappointing development," said Andrew Johnson, a senior official at the New Zealand Space Agency. "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 led the project, said it was "difficult news" but would not be the end of its methane-tracking efforts. MethaneSAT was designed to measure emissions of the potent greenhouse gas, which fuels climate change by trapping heat in the planet's atmosphere. It has proven notoriously difficult to get accurate estimates of the methane emissions belched out by oil and gas projects around the globe. "It was one of the most advanced methane tracking satellites in space, measuring methane emissions in oil and gas producing regions across the world," the MethaneSAT team said. 'Remarkable' Project lead Steven Hamburg said initial data gleaned by the satellite was "remarkable". "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 wrote on LinkedIn. MethaneSAT was launched into space in March 2024 on the back of a SpaceX rocket fired from California. Controllers first lost contact with the satellite on June 20, the MethaneSAT team said in a statement. 'Not recoverable' They confirmed it had lost all power on Monday this week and was "likely not recoverable". "The engineering team is conducting a thorough investigation into the loss of communication," MethaneSAT said. "This is expected to take time. We will share what we learn." Despite its shorter-than-expected lifespan, MethaneSAT hailed the mission as a "remarkable success in terms of scientific and technological accomplishment". Amazon founder Bezos pumped more than US$100 million into the project through his philanthropic Earth Fund. The satellite eventually succumbed after overcoming a string of technical glitches. It repeatedly entered a sleep, or stand-by, mode without prompting -- forcing engineers to perform a lengthy reset each time. One of its three thrusters also failed.
DW
15 hours ago
- Science
- DW
Methane-tracking satellite backed by Bezos lost in space – DW – 07/02/2025
A satellite backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has been lost in space. MethaneSAT had been collecting emissions data and images from drilling sites, pipelines, and processing facilities around the world. An $88 million (€77.4 million) satellite backed by Jeff Bezos has disappeared in space while conducting a climate change mission, New Zealand officials said on Wednesday. MethaneSAT, which was designed to evaluate greenhouse gas emissions with "unprecedented resolution," was also funded by Wellington and the US-based Environmental Defense Fund. However, the satellite was plagued with technical problems and recently stopped responding to its Earth-bound controllers. "Clearly, this is a disappointing development," said Andrew Johnson, a senior official at the New Zealand Space Agency. "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." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), which was in charge of the project, said it was "difficult news" but would not relent in its efforts to track methane. "We're seeing this as a setback, not a failure," Amy Middleton, senior vice president at the EDF, told the Reuters news agency. "We've made so much progress and so much has been learned that if we hadn't taken this risk, we wouldn't have any of these learnings." The launch of MethaneSAT in March of last year was a milestone in a years-long campaign to hold some 120 countries accountable to their 2021 pledge to curb methane emissions. It also sought to help enforce a further pledge from 50 oil and gas firms made at the Dubai COP28 climate summit in December 2023 to eliminate methane and routine gas flaring. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Scientists say capping leaks from oil and gas wells and equipment is therefore one of the fastest ways to start tackling the problem of global warming. The EDF had received a $100 million funding boost from the Bezos Earth Fund in 2020 and received other financial support from Arnold Ventures, the Robertson Foundation and the TED Audacious Project and EDF donors. The mission was also carried out in partnership with the New Zealand Space Agency.
