The Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO*) satellite will make the first space-based measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), an important greenhouse gas. Scientists believe fossil fuel use and other human activities have almost doubled the concentrations of this gas since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Atmospheric carbon dioxide is an efficient greenhouse gas because it absorbs and traps infrared radiation (heat) emitted by the Earth's surface, preventing it from escaping to space. OCO measurements will help scientists to better understand how increasing CO2 concentrations is driving climate change around the globe.
Although the biosphere and oceans currently absorb about half of the CO2 generated by human activities, the nature and geographic distribution of the sources and "sinks" of carbon dioxide are not clearly understood. By providing the first global CO2 measurements from space, the two-year OCO mission has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the global carbon cycle. Orbital is building the spacecraft as well as providing mission operations for the OCO mission under contract from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
In production. Launch planned for 2008 aboard a Taurus XL rocket.
Customer: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Mission: NASA Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) program
Quick Facts *
Each carbon dioxide molecule includes one carbon atom (C) sandwiched between two oxygen (O) atoms, forming a linear molecule, with the structure O=C=O
All animals release CO2 into the atmosphere as a by-product of metabolism.
Plants absorb CO2 from the air and use it, sunlight, water and oxygen
to produce their own energy (photosynthesis). Nearly everything we eat
comes directly or indirectly from this "carbon cycle."
Dr. David Crisp of JPL will be the principal investigator for the mission,
which includes more than 19 university, corporate and international partners.
