Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) Satellite Launch

Prof. L. Long
AERSP 440

The OCO satellite will help solve some of the lingering mysteries in our understanding of Earths carbon cycle and its primary atmospheric component, carbon dioxide, a chemical compound that is produced both naturally and through human activities. Each year, humans release more than 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels for powering vehicles, generating electricity and manufacturing products. About 5 additional tons of carbon dioxide are released each year by biomass burning, forest fires and land-use practices such as slash-and-burn agriculture. These activities are estimated to have increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels by almost 20 percent in just the past 50 years. OCO will provide the first complete picture of human and natural carbon dioxide sources, as well as the places where carbon dioxide is absorbed out of the atmosphere, known as "sinks."

NASA OCO Office Orbital Sciences Corp. Description (pdf) Launch (video) Press Briefing (video) Press Briefing 2 (video) Launch Info (pdf)

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