NASA tries again with Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellite launch

By on June 27, 2014
Artists rendering of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 satellite, which will provide high-resolution fluorescence measurements (Credit: NASA/JPL)

Artists rendering of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 satellite, which will provide high-resolution fluorescence measurements (Credit: NASA/JPL)


Two could be NASA’s lucky number on July 1 as they make a second attempt to launch their first carbon-monitoring satellite, Nature reported.

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 will map carbon dioxide sinks and sources across the world using a high-resolution spectrometer. The satellite, which cost $465 million, is almost identical to its predecessor that went down in 2009 without reaching orbit.

The OCO-2 won’t be the first satellite to monitor CO2, but it will do so in unparalleled detail, sampling the atmosphere column every 3 square kilometers. In comparison, the Japanese Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite takes measurements every 85 square kilometers.

Image: Artists rendering of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 satellite, which will provide high-resolution fluorescence measurements (Credit: NASA/JPL)

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