This week NASA will launch the OCO satellite that will measure the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere for the first time from space

This gas is responsible for climate change, so it is very important to know its exact concentration, and what are the processes that lead to its decomposition

Orbital Sciences' Taros XL launcher is ready for the launch of the OCO - Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellite planned for launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on February 24, at 01:51 local time (11:51 a.m. Israel time.

OCO is an Earth System Science Pathfinder mission. The satellite will collect accurate global data on carbon dioxide concentrations in the Earth's atmosphere. The scientists will analyze the OCO data with the goal of improving our understanding of the natural processes and human activity that drive the occurrence and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. This improvement in understanding will make it possible to make more reliable predictions of the future changes in the concentration and distribution of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the impact these changes will have on the Earth's climate.

Carbon dioxide is one of the main causes of climate change because its concentration has increased rapidly, especially in the last fifty years due to human activity, including the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. The mystery of carbon dioxide is that we know roughly how much of it is released into the atmosphere each year due to human activity, but we are only responsible for half of that amount that does not remain in the atmosphere.