A satellite, funded to the tune of $100 million by Jeff Bezos via the Bezos Earth Fund, has lost all power.
On Friday, June 20 we lost contact with our methane-measuring satellite. Despite considerable efforts we were unable to reestablish contact. This morning we learned that the satellite has lost power, and it is anticipated to be unrecoverable. methanesat.org/project-upda…
— MethaneSAT (@methanesat.bsky.social) 2025-07-01T16:34:59.237Z
The MethaneSAT satellite, officially launched in March 2024, was designed to monitor methane emissions, with a focus on oil- and gas-producing areas.
Operated by the American non-profit Environmental Defense Fund, it worked until it lost its signal while flying over Norway.
The organization stated that the satellite would « probably be unsalvageable », making Jeff Bezos’ investment one of its most notable failures.
However, the Environmental Defense Fund maintains that the satellite’s mission was a success, having gathered crucial data on methane emissions from oil and gas production areas.