Where does the CO2 in our atmosphere come from? The European Earth observation mission CO2M is expected to provide answers to this question. OHB is heading the industrial consortium which is working flat out to realise the satellites for the mission by 2025. We accompany the OHB team with the camera and show how the satellites are taking shape step by step.
On 12 December 2015, 196 parties signed the Paris Agreement as a legally binding international treaty on climate change. Its goal: to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.
Nevertheless, the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continues to rise. In order to change this, it is necessary to identify the origin of emissions. With the European Earth observation mission CO2M, it will become possible for the first time to distinguish human from natural CO2 emissions and to trace them back to their sources. The mission is part of the European Copernicus programme and in its first stage of development will consist of two satellites whose instruments will allow the precise measurement of emissions caused by human activities. The data will be used to better track and implement the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.
The Copernicus programme is funded by the European Union and ESA. The launch of the first CO2M satellite is planned for the end of 2025.