UK Welcomes MicroCarb: Europe’s First Satellite to Track CO2 Emissions
A joint British-French satellite set to revolutionise climate change monitoring has landed in the UK. MicroCarb, a mission by the UK Space Agency and France’s CNES, is Europe’s first satellite dedicated to measuring atmospheric carbon dioxide—the chief culprit behind global warming.
Built by Airbus France, MicroCarb recently completed pre-flight calibration at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in Teddington. Now, the satellite is at Thales Alenia Space’s UK facility in Oxfordshire, where it will undergo final assembly, integration, and testing. The launch is scheduled for 2024.
Precision Data to Track Carbon Emissions Worldwide
MicroCarb aims to provide unprecedented accuracy in tracking how much CO2 comes from natural processes and human activities. Its data will be crucial for monitoring global carbon emissions and assessing progress toward targets set by the Paris Agreement.
The satellite boasts a cutting-edge city-scanning mode, enabling it to map CO2 levels across urban hotspots like London and Paris—cities responsible for the lion’s share of greenhouse gas emissions. This will give policymakers vital tools to combat climate change on a local and global scale.
Experts Praise UK’s Role in Groundbreaking Mission
Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said:
“Over half of the critical measurements on climate change rely on satellite data and the information from MicroCarb will be hugely important. Having more accurate knowledge of how much carbon the world’s forests and oceans absorb will provide the reliable information needed to take decisions on tackling climate change.
“It is an exciting moment to see the MicroCarb satellite arrive in the UK. This mission shows what can be achieved when we collaborate with international partners like CNES, bringing the best of our skills and expertise together.”
Dr Sarah Beardsley, Director of STFC RAL Space, added:
“Achieving Net Zero is one of the most pressing challenges we currently face, and a vital part in reaching our collective goal is to develop systems that can accurately and reliably monitor carbon emissions.
“I’m incredibly proud that STFC RAL Space has played such an important role in the development of MicroCarb. The pointing and calibration system that we’ve developed for this mission will enable scientists to analyse the carbon cycle in new levels of fine detail, giving us a fuller and clearer understanding of the processes driving climate change.”
Andrew Stanniland, CEO of Thales Alenia Space UK, said:
“With the climate crisis at the top of the world agenda, I am proud that Thales Alenia Space is at the heart of this important collaborative mission between the space agencies of France and the UK. The fact that it will be the first satellite our Assembly, Integration and Test team in the UK has fully assembled and integrated only adds to that pride.
“We all learned from an early age the effect of carbon dioxide on global warming but the fact that MicroCarb will be able to measure the effect of cities on the production of CO2 will bring a significant step forward in the battle to manage the human impact on our environment.”
Cutting-Edge Calibration and Data Expertise Underpin MicroCarb
The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) handled critical pre-launch calibration and validation, ensuring the satellite’s measurements are trustworthy and accurate. NPL CEO Dr Peter Thompson emphasised:
“To make informed decisions about climate change we need to have confidence in the systems and data we use to do so. I am delighted that NPL has played such a significant role in the early stages of the MicroCarb mission, leading on the calibration and validation with our state-of-the-art facilities, and that we will continue to be involved in the mission as it progresses by using our measurement capability to input into the downstream data.”
Teams from the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) at Leicester and Edinburgh universities will transform the satellite’s raw data into detailed maps showing carbon sources and sinks worldwide.
Professor Paul Palmer, UK Lead Scientist on MicroCarb, said:
“Data from MicroCarb will play a crucial role in extending our current ability to verify reductions in global and national emissions of CO2 in response to the demands of the Paris Agreement.
“Cities are home to half of the world’s population and are therefore at the forefront of the global challenge to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. The city-scan observing mode of MicroCarb, which can map out atmospheric CO2 over cities the size of London and Paris, will provide new information to help cities implement strategies that support sustainable urban development.”
With £13.9 million of UK Space Agency investment, MicroCarb is set to put Europe at the forefront of the fight against climate change—watch this space.
