The MicroCarb mission, which has been developed in partnership with France’s space agency CNES, will become Europe’s first dedicated carbon dioxide monitoring satellite, marking a significant step in the fight against climate change.
Successfully launched aboard a Vega-C rocket from Kourou, French Guiana this morning, MicroCarb will join the international greenhouse gas (GHG) virtual constellation of satellites, significantly enhancing global climate monitoring capabilities.
The mission is backed by a £15 million investment from the UK Space Agency. MicroCarb will orbit 650km above Earth, using city-scanning technology to map CO2 emissions across urban areas at an unprecedented 2km x 2km resolution. This capability is key for understanding emissions from cities, which are responsible for over 70% of global CO2 output.
“This groundbreaking mission is proof of what can be achieved when we harness the strength of Britain’s burgeoning space industry, together with our deep scientific expertise. Bolstered with £15 million UK Government backing, the MicroCarb satellite will overhaul our ability to track carbon emissions – supporting the clean energy mission that’s key to this Government’s Plan for Change,” said Sir Chris Bryant, UK Minister for Space. “It’s also further evidence of the value of our deep and unique relationship with France: a partnership which the Prime Minister reinforced, with President Macron, at the UK-France Summit earlier this month.”
The satellite’s precise measurements will help verify climate targets and guide net zero strategies, providing governments with the data needed to track progress towards the Paris Agreement and develop effective carbon reduction policies.
Satellites like MicroCarb are our eyes in the sky. Over half of the critical data we use to understand climate change comes from space, and MicroCarb’s successful launch is a major leap forward in our ability to track carbon emissions and absorption with unprecedented accuracy, from the world’s cities to its forests and oceans,” added Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency. “Backed by UK and French investment and expertise, it’s a proud moment for both our space sectors and a powerful example of international collaboration in action.”
As well as urban emissions, MicroCarb will monitor natural carbon sinks such as forests and oceans, enhancing scientific understanding of how much carbon is absorbed by the planet and where. This data will be crucial for improving national carbon inventories and identifying new opportunities for carbon capture and storage (CCS).
UK scientists and industry have played a central role in the development and delivery of the MicroCarb mission. The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) provided the SI-traceable ground calibration facility to test the satellite’s performance before launch. NPL’s Paul Green is also working with the MicroCarb team to develop algorithms and quality metrics to ensure the accuracy of the data.
Professor Paul Palmer, from The National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) and the University of Edinburgh, is the UK lead for MicroCarb. He will translate the satellite’s CO2 observations into detailed maps showing carbon absorption and emissions. Dr Rob Parker, also part of the NCEO team, is delivering the mission’s SIF retrieval algorithm, drawing on expertise from the University of Leicester.
“Currently, we are witnessing rapid and unprecedented changes in the global carbon cycle. MicroCarb will deliver SIF and atmospheric CO₂ data that are crucial for understanding those changes. It will also reinvigorate an aging virtual satellite constellation, providing high quality data to inform the next Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement,” stated Palmer. “More broadly, MicroCarb exemplifies the world-class capabilities of UK science and engineering, working closely with our French colleagues.”
UK scientists have worked closely with their French counterparts as key members of the Mission Advisory Group (MAG), playing a vital role in preparing for the mission and continuing their involvement during the Calibration-Validation phases after launch.
MicroCarb is part of a bilateral agreement signed in 2014, and renewed in 2021, between France and the UK, showcasing a strong collaboration in space programmes. The UK and France recently deepened their strategic partnership across space and security technologies, including with specific announcements in satellite communications and PNT.
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