New Zealand officials said on Wednesday that a $ 88 million (€ 77.4 million) satellite supported by Jeff Bezos has disappeared into space.
The methansat, which was designed to evaluate the greenhouse gas emissions with “unprecedented resolution”, established by Wellington and US-based environmental protection funds.
However, the satellite was suffering from technical problems and recently stopped responding to its earth-bound controllers.
“Clearly, this is a disappointing development,” said Andrew Johnson, a senior official of the New Zealand Space Agency.
“As those who work in the space field know, space is naturally challenging, and every effort, successful or not, we push the boundaries of what we know and what we are able to do.”
The project is not meaningless, EDF argues
Environment Protection Fund (EDF), which, as in charge of the project, stated that it is “difficult news”, but will not be related to its effigies to track methane.
“We are seizing it as a shock, not failure,” said EDF Senior Vice President Amy Middleton. “We have made so much progress and have learned a lot that if we do not take this risk, we do not have any of these learning.”
Methansat’s launch in March last year was a milestone in a one -year campaign, which blamed 120 countries for its 2021 pledge for curbing methane emissions.
So to help the Dubai COP28 climate summit in December 2023 to help to help apply another pledge from 50 oil and gas firms to eliminate methane and routine gas flaring.
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, with 80 times warming power of carbon dioxide over a period of 20 years.
Scientists say that there is a capping of leaks from oil and gas wells and equipment, therefore, one of the sharp methods to deal with global warming.
The EDF gained $ 100 million from Bezos Earth Fund in 2020 and received other financial assistance from Arnold Ventures, The Robertson Foundation and Ted Audius Project and EDF donors. The mission in partnership with the New Zealand Space Agency.
Edited by: ZAC Crellin
