A n $88m satellite designed to detect releases of the planet-warming gas methane from oil and gas production, has been lost in space in a major setback for climate efforts. The MethaneSat satellite which had backing from Google and billionaire Jeff Bezos, was launched only last year aboard an Elon Musk SpaceX rocket.

MethaneSat, a $88m climate satellite backed by Google and Jeff Bezos to track methane emissions, has lost contact in orbit—dealing a serious blow to global climate monitoring efforts.

Operators lost contact with the MethaneSAT satellite on 20 June, a significant blow to efforts to track – and stop – methane emissions