MicroCARB CO2 Monitoring Satellite: Launched
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Context
Climate change is one of the most significant global challenges facing humanity today, with human-driven activities actively contributing to global warming. Human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, are major sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs), particularly carbon dioxide (CO2). Over the past 15 years, a wide range of commitments and legislation have been introduced in an effort to reduce CO2 emissions and mitigate global warming. Monitoring progress against these commitments and legislation requires regular tracking of GHG emissions, a role that Earth Observation (EO) satellites have been performing for decades due to their ability to provide data on a global scale. It is therefore crucial to ensure the continuous availability of these datasets in the future to effectively address climate change and to gain a deeper understanding of the global carbon cycle.
What is the MicroCARB satellite?
MicroCARB is a microsatellite and a joint climate mission between the UK Space Agency (UKSA) and the French space agency (CNES), ensuring continuity in monitoring greenhouse gases (GHGs). It is the first European satellite built to measure atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) across the globe with high precision, as CO2 is the main greenhouse gas produced by human activity. In addition to CO2, MicroCARB will also measure Solar Induced Fluorescence (SIF), a proxy for how plants sequester CO2 through photosynthesis, which is essential for a better understanding of the global carbon cycle and complements the CO2 measurements.
The MicroCARB mission has demonstrated the UK’s extensive expertise in all stages of a satellite’s lifecycle, from testing the payload to in-mission calibration and data processing. MicroCARB will be launched on Friday 25th July from the European spaceport in French Guiana, and the first datasets are expected to be publicly available approximately 12 months after its launch.
Why is MicroCARB important?
MicroCARB ensures continued global monitoring of GHGs at a time when companies and countries are striving to meet their net zero commitments and the impacts of climate change are felt worldwide. Combined with existing and upcoming GHG-measuring satellites, it will enable more precise estimates of CO2 than ever before and enhance our understanding of the global carbon cycle, both over land and oceans. This is especially true because of MicroCARB’s ability to measure CO2 at higher resolutions (city-level), allowing for more accurate assessment of human activity on the carbon cycle on a global scale, and facilitating more effective implementation and monitoring of measures to reduce CO2 emissions.
MicroCARB’s SIF dataset will address a gap in our understanding of this vital part of the global carbon cycle by enabling measurements of SIF variation throughout the day on a global scale when combined with existing satellite datasets. This will help reduce the significant uncertainty in current SIF datasets and improve comprehension of carbon sources and sinks.
What is the UK involvement?
MicroCARB is a true demonstration of international collaboration between UK and France experts in their respective fields to deliver a cutting-edge climate monitoring mission.
The UK space sector was involved throughout the satellite’s lifetime, highlighting its extensive presence in academia and industry and demonstrating the UK’s cutting-edge facilities. The project was co-funded by UKSA, which invested £13.9 million, supporting the following activities:
- Thales Alenia Space was responsible for the assembly, integration, and testing (AIT) campaign, using STFC’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) Space’s facilities at Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire, to prepare the satellite for launch.
- The National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO), the University of Leicester, and the University of Edinburgh are providing algorithms and models that will convert MicroCARB measurements into scientific datasets.
- GMV UK designed, implemented, and quality-assured the algorithms and mission operation processors for MicroCARB, ensuring the correct operation of the mission and data processing. They are also responsible for ensuring these processors integrate with the processing pipelines of mission partner CNES and EUMETSAT.
- NCEO and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) are providing ground validation and calibration facilities to ensure the satellite performs correctly after launch.
- STFC RAL Space developed the pointing and calibration system for MicroCARB, enabling it to take measurements over specific locations (e.g., a city).
CNES was overall responsible for delivering the MicroCARB mission and tasked Airbus Defence & Space Toulouse with designing and building the instrument onboard MicroCARB (). The satellite is built around CNES’s Myriade microsatellite bus.
Enabling Action through Data
As the international community continues to confront the escalating impacts of climate change, the availability of precise, reliable, and sustained observations of greenhouse gases is essential. The launch of MicroCARB marks a significant step toward enhancing our collective ability to monitor carbon dioxide emissions and understand the dynamics of the global carbon cycle.
We encourage stakeholders across government, academia, and industry to engage with the MicroCARB mission and prepare to integrate its datasets into climate monitoring, modelling, and policy frameworks. The generated by MicroCARB will be made openly available approximately 12 months after launch, providing a valuable resource for advancing scientific research and supporting evidence-based decision-making at local, national, and international levels.
The countdown is on. Let’s use this momentum to strengthen our understanding of the planet—and our responsibility to protect it.
