The satellite was part of groundbreaking efforts to track methane pollution and make information public. Capping methane leaks is one of the quickest ways to tackle global warning, say scientists, and MethaneSAT was a publicly-available global map of emissions.

The spacecraft, MethaneSAT, was just a year into its mission to provide a clearer picture of planet-warming emissions from oil and gas sites.

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.