MicroCarb, Europe’s first satellite dedicated to measuring CO2, the main greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, is scheduled to be launched in July. The announcement comes from the French National Center for Space Studies (Cnes) during a presentation in Toulouse.
The 180-kilogram satellite, built by Cnes with the British Space Agency (Uksa) and a budget of 200 million euros, will measure the natural fluxes of carbon between emission sources (human activities, fires) and natural sinks (oceans, vegetation), which to date “absorb half of the greenhouse gas emissions” as emphasized by François-Marie Bréon, the project’s scientific director.
MicroCarb promises greater accuracy than previous international projects thanks to significant technological innovations.
