NASA carbon observatory poised for launch to the International Space Station

Atmospheric scientists are about to get the most detailed observations yet of the places on Earth that emit or store carbon. If all goes well, NASA will launch its latest carbon-monitoring instrument to the International Space Station (ISS) on 30 April. The US$110-million Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) will be attached to the outside of the station. The probe will monitor areas of the planet that aren’t easily surveyed by carbon-measuring satellites1, collecting high-resolution data from larger regions than its predecessors. Researchers hope that the data from the three-year OCO-3 mission will increase their understanding of Earth’s carbon cycle, hone climate-change predictions and improve carbon dioxide measurements. More

(Source: Nature - Apr 27)