The first Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) was lost on the way to space because of fraudulent metal provided by a supplier.
The OCO was rebuilt at OCO-2, which has since collected data on the spatial distribution of carbon dioxide on Earth.
OCO-3 will be attached to the International Space Station, which will further fill in data gaps and help the world come to terms with its carbon problem.
OCO-3 Ready to Extend NASA’s Study of Carbon
European Sentinel satellites to map global CO2 emissions
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-53613336
Satellite network to find carbon super-emitters – BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-56762972
Eldering is the project scientist for NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3, or OCO-3, an instrument that measures atmospheric CO2 levels from space to better understand the impact of human activity on the natural carbon cycle, the process by which plants, soil, oceans, and the atmosphere exchange carbon with each other. In a paper published this month, Eldering and her colleagues released a map showing the most detailed variations of CO2emissions over the LA basin ever seen from space. This research demonstrates that space-based monitors can be used to collect large swaths of data over pollution hot spots, information that could help inform policy to combat climate change.
An Observatory Spied on LA’s Carbon Emissions—From Space | WIRED
https://www.wired.com/story/an-observatory-spied-on-las-carbon-emissions-from-space/