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OCO-3

Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3, or OCO-3, is a space instrument designed to investigate important questions about the distribution of carbon dioxide on Earth as it relates to growing urban populations and changing patterns of fossil fuel combustion.

Visit Mission Website
OPALS Foreground

Mission Statistics

Time in Orbit

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Launch Date

May 4, 2019

Type

Instrument

Target

Earth

Status

Current

About the mission

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3, or OCO-3, is a space instrument designed to investigate important questions about the distribution of carbon dioxide on Earth as it relates to growing urban populations and changing patterns of fossil fuel combustion.

NASA has developed and assembled the instrument using spare materials from the successful development and launch of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 in 2014 and will host the instrument on the Japanese Experiment Module- Exposed Facility (JEM-EF) onboard the International Space Station.

Mission Highlights

May 3, 2019

Launch

OCO-3 was launched May 3, 2019, from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
Target: Earth
Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3

More about Earth and Climate Change

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NISAR’s View of Mount Rainier

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NISAR Views Mount St. Helens

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NISAR’s View of Mount Rainier

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NISAR’s View of Mount Rainier

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NISAR Views Mount St. Helens

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NISAR Views Mount St. Helens

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See NASA’s GUARDIAN Catch a Tsunami

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US-French Satellite Takes Stock of World’s River Water

  • OCO-3 Mission Website
  • Fact Sheet (PDF)

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