Where is most of our planet’s carbon dioxide generated and where is it absorbed again? CNES’s MicroCarb mission will answer these questions by mapping the world’s main carbon dioxide sources and sinks, helping scientists understand how the greenhouse gas contributes to global climate change.
MicroCarb carries an infrared spectrometer, a scientific instrument that will calculate the proportion of carbon dioxide in the air underneath it by analysing the sunlight reflected by the surface of the Earth and the oceans.
The satellite was launched on 25 July on a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
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[Image description: The image depicts a cleanroom environment where six individuals are working on a satellite. They are all wearing bright yellow protective suits and blue shoe covers. Three of them are wearing white helmets and the other three white hairnets. The satellite is mounted on a metal frame and features several components, some of which are wrapped in gold-coloured thermal insulation. The team members are positioned around the satellite, actively inspecting it. The cleanroom has white walls and a yellow floor.]