EO·Atlas
OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2)
NASA carbon-monitoring satellite launched July 2014; spectrometer primary mission is atmospheric CO2 column; SIF at 757 nm and 740 nm is a demonstrated complementary by-product with highest spatial resolution SIF retrievals from any satellite.
OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2) is a NASA carbon-monitoring satellite launched on 2 July 2014 into a sun-synchronous orbit at 705 km altitude with a fixed equatorial crossing time as part of the A-Train constellation.[1][2]
The spacecraft carries a three-channel grating spectrometer covering the oxygen A-band (0.758-0.772 micrometres), the weak CO2 band (1.594-1.619 micrometres), and the strong CO2 band (2.042-2.082 micrometres). Its primary mission is the measurement of atmospheric column-averaged CO2 (XCO2) with precision of approximately 1 ppm to quantify regional carbon fluxes. Sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) retrieval at 757 nm and 740 nm has been demonstrated as a complementary data product, with SIF retrievals produced from OCO-2 spectra at spatial footprints consistent with the spectrometer design.[1][3]
OCO-2 is in an extended mission phase. Its fixed sun-synchronous crossing time distinguishes its sampling geometry from OCO-3, which is mounted on the International Space Station and observes at variable times of day. End-of-life for OCO-2 is projected for September 2026.[2]
Compositional position
- [1]OCO-2 mission overview, eoPortalagency doc2026-06-11
- [2]OCO-2 mission page, NASA Scienceoperator marketing2026-06-11
- [3]OCO-2 mission site, NASA JPLoperator marketing2026-06-11