When did OCO-2 launch?

July 2, 2014

Where is OCO-2?

435 miles (700 km) from Earth

What does OCO-2 do?

OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2) is the first spacecraft dedicated to studying carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere. Atmospheric carbon dioxide is important to study because it is linked to global warming and climate change. The mission’s goal is to learn more about the carbon cycle and processes that regulate carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. By learning about this, scientists can better predict increases in carbon dioxide and their impact on Earth’s climate.

Learn more about NASA’s OCO-2.