NASA and JAXA satellites will monitor CO2 emissions from up there

Back in December, we reported about NASA’s venture, the Orbital Carbon Observatory (OCO), to keep a tab on the CO2 levels. Here is a small update on that topic. Keeping up with America’s green space mission, Japanese space agency JAXA will also launch satellite into orbit to measure Earth’s carbon dioxide and methane levels. Dubbed Ibuki, it will circle our planet every 100 minutes, collecting data from 56,000 points around the world at 667km above the surface. Gizmodo also reports that, akin to OCO, it will use a spectrometer to detect carbon dioxide and methane levels through the sun. Such a system can detect changes down to one part per million. The Ibuki also uses a detector which reads clouds and aerosols for radiation levels. As these two satellites shoot in space to investigate about the CO2 levels produced, they will also help to understand the effect of natural CO2 producers like forest fires and rain forests on our blue globe.
[Gizmodo]