MicroCarb, the Franco-British space mission to map CO₂ and monitor the global climate, is underway.

The MicroCarb scientific mission, led by the French Space Agency (CNES), was successfully launched from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. MicroCarb is a joint mission between the United Kingdom Space Agency and the French Space Agency (CNES), acting as prime contractor. The mission, Thales Alenia Space explains in a statement, is co-funded by these two agencies, as well as by the European Commission and the French government under the Investment for the Future (IPF) program, managed by the French National Research Agency (ANR). The satellite is designed to precisely map carbon dioxide (CO) in the atmosphere, acquiring detailed data on emissions from anthropogenic activities as well as absorption by natural sinks such as forests and oceans. The satellite is built on the CNES Myriade platform. Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), completed the assembly, integration, and testing of the satellite platform at Ral Space in Harwell, UK, and was responsible for launch preparation. Airbus Defence and Space provided the payload instrument, the infrared spectrometer. MicroCarb will operate in low Earth orbit, at an altitude of 650 kilometers, and will serve as a precursor to the European Union's Copernicus mission to monitor anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2M)—a three-satellite constellation, with payloads provided by Thales Alenia Space, which will ensure precise measurements of anthropogenic carbon dioxide and methane. MicroCarb will complement the CO2M mission by providing initial observations and critical data, improving our ability to monitor CO2 and methane to inform climate policymakers. Additionally, a special city scanning mode will allow mapping the distribution of CO within urban areas, which are responsible for the vast majority of global emissions. "I am incredibly proud of the contribution of our British and French teams to MicroCarb, Europe's pioneering satellite for mapping carbon dioxide on a global scale. A huge thank you," commented Richard Thorburn, CEO of Thales Alenia Space in the UK, "to CNES and the UK Space Agency for their trust in us, which has enabled Thales Alenia Space to play a key role in advancing European leadership in climate monitoring and environmental science, helping to protect our planet."