Connect with us

Published

on

The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced a new mission where human-made emissions of greenhouse gases will be tracked from space. ESA, in collaboration with the European Union’s (EU) Earth-monitoring programme Copernicus, announced this mission during the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow on November 2. It will incorporate a constellation of satellites called European CO2 Monitoring and Verification Support Capacity (CO2MVS). This will help countries to stay on track and meet climate change mitigation targets.

The constellation of satellites is being developed by ESA along with the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). The satellites are meant to orbit around the Earth and measure, in unprecedented detail and in real-time, the concentration of carbon dioxide and methane in Earth’s atmosphere. This statement was released by Copernicus representatives.

According to these representatives, the satellites could be functional by 2026. The Paris Agreement of 2015 requires nations to take note of their annual progress towards greenhouse gas reduction targets. The first and second rounds of analysis are scheduled to be completed by 2023 and 2028, respectively. In that case, ESA’s mission could aid in the second cycle.

The satellite constellation is believed to be “game-changing.” This is because it will detect individual sources of greenhouse gas emissions such as power plants or dumping yards. Currently, satellites only measure the total atmospheric concentrations of the gases. The new satellites will be designed to provide broader coverage, sharper detail, and higher accuracy.

The computer models of Earth’s atmosphere and biosphere will integrate the data received from this constellation. These models are already being used by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).

Richard Engelen, deputy director of CAMS, said, “By providing globally consistent and high-quality data on anthropogenic emissions we can support policymakers with this enormous challenge.”


Continue Reading

Science

ISRO Says Gaganyaan Mission Is 90 Percent Complete, Aiming for 2027 Launch

Published

on

By

ISRO has completed 90 percent of the Gaganyaan mission’s development. With three test flights ahead, India is set to join the elite group of nations capable of sending humans to space by 2027, marking a landmark step in its space exploration journey.

Continue Reading

Science

Saturn’s Moon Titan Breaks One of Chemistry’s Oldest Rules, NASA Study Reveals

Published

on

By

Saturn’s moon Titan has shocked scientists by breaking a key chemistry rule. NASA and Chalmers University researchers found that polar and nonpolar molecules, usually immiscible, can mix under Titan’s extreme cold. The discovery deepens our understanding of prebiotic chemistry and could reveal how life’s building blocks form in frigid extraterrestrial environmen…

Continue Reading

Science

Scientists Construct 5-Micron Engine Generating Effective Heat of 13 Million Degrees Celsius Without Burning

Published

on

By

A team of scientists has created a microscopic engine made from a 5-micrometre glass bead suspended in an electric field. By applying oscillating voltages, the bead moves as if it’s in an environment of 13 million°C, even though it remains cool. The study reveals bizarre thermodynamic effects at tiny scales, offering clues to how natural molecular “machines” wo…

Continue Reading

Trending