BackForward Satellite Programme: Orbiting Carbon Observatory  

Programme details
Programme description
  • Three-satellite programme (1st: failed at launch, 2nd: recovery, 3rd: continuation) for atmospheric chemistry.
  • USA programme: NASA responsible of development and operations.
  • The platforms are actively stabilised over 3 axes.
  • The design life time of the satellite is 2 years.
  • Sunsynchronous orbit with ECT around 13:30, joining the A-Train.
  • OCO-3 is on the International Space Station.
  • The replacement policy is based on launching satellites in sequence, roughly 6 months before the expected end-of-life of a satellite.
  • See detailed description at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/oco/main/index.html..
Data circulation
  • Global onboard storage.
  • Data acquisition, processing and dissemination by the NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, California.
Agencies NASA
Programme lifetime 2009 - 2026
Associated satellites and instruments

Note: red tag => no longer operational , green tag => operational , blue tag => planned