6/29/2023 0 Comments Lunarcal transmogBecause OCO-3 cannot observe the Sun, lunar observations are more critical for tracking the characteristics of its calibration lamps, which vary with time, according to the OCO-3 Science Team. The previous OCO mission used a comprehensive series of calibration capabilities allowing it to observe the Sun, the moon and on-board lamps to calibrate. Credit: NASA/JPL-CaltechĪ major component of Aerospace’s support of OCO-3 is LunarCal, a flight software module that Aerospace developed and delivered to assist with instrument calibration that uses the moon as a reference source to calibrate the payload sensors. Illustration of NASA's OCO-3 mounted on the underside of the International Space Station. ![]() In addition, OCO-3 data are expected to significantly improve our understanding of the sources and impacts of carbon dioxide emissions from human activities, using measurements over cities and other areas of interest. Mounted upon the Japanese Experiment Module-Exposed Facility on board the International Space Station (ISS), the instrument identifies sources and sinks of carbon dioxide in oceans and terrestrial ecosystems. The Aerospace Corporation has provided direct support to NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory Project (OCO-3), a NASA-JPL instrument designed to measure carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere. In fact, increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide are responsible for about two-thirds of the total energy imbalance that is causing Earth's temperature to rise, presenting a fundamental threat to humanity and life on Earth. ![]() While other greenhouse gases have also increased due to human activity, carbon dioxide is far more abundant and remains in the atmosphere much longer. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the burning of fossil fuels for energy has caused carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere to rise at an alarming rate.
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