An eye on CO2 from space could soon shut: why this matters

Paper: GS – III, Subject: Science and Technology, Topic: Space Technology, Issue: Orbiting Carbon Observatories.

Context:

The Trump administration has reportedly directed NASA to prepare to shut down two major satellites that monitor atmospheric carbon dioxide and crop health, NPR reported. The reason for ending these missions early is unclear.

Key Takeaways:

What are Orbiting Carbon Observatories (OCOs)?

• OCOs are Earth remote sensing satellites specifically designed to observe atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) from space.
• The primary goal is to improve our understanding of climate change by characterizing CO2 sources and sinks.
• The first mission, OCO, failed shortly after launch in 2009.
• OCO-2 was launched in July 2014 as a replacement, built using the original OCO design to minimize costs and ensure consistent performance.
• OCO-3 was launched in 2019 and installed on the International Space Station (ISS) to further enhance CO2 observations.

How do OCO-2 and OCO-3 Differ?

• Both OCO-2 and OCO-3 measure atmospheric CO2, but they offer different perspectives.
• OCO-2 flies in a sun-synchronous polar orbit, allowing it to observe any given location at the same time of day.
• OCO-3, aboard the ISS, orbits Earth every 90 minutes, enabling it to observe locations at different times of day, complementing OCO-2’s data.

Cost and Concerns of Maintaining OCO Satellites:

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sci-tech/an-eye-on-co2-from-space-could-soon-shut-why-this-matters-10183744

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