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.

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, the first satellite made by an environmental nonprofit organization, was designed to monitor some of the world's largest industrial contributors of greenhouse gas emissions. Now, without power,