Illustration of NASA's OCO-3 mounted on the underside of the International Space Station. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22837

OCO-3 sits on the large vibration table (known as the "shaker") in the Environmental Test Lab at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The exposed wires lead to sensors used during dynamics and thermal-vacuum testing. Thermal blankets will be added to the instrument at Kennedy Space Center, where a Space-X Dragon capsule carrying OCO-3 will launch in on a Falcon 9 rocket to the space station on May 1, 2019. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23211

This image shows CO2 over the United States during OCO-3's first few days of science data collection. These initial measurements are consistent with measurements taken by OCO-3's older sibling, OCO-2, over the same area — meaning that even though OCO-3's instrument calibration is not yet complete, it is right on track to continue its (currently still operational) predecessor's data record. The mission team expects to complete OCO-3's in-orbit checkout phase — the period where they ensure all instruments and components are working and calibrated correctly — in August 2019. They are scheduled to release official CO2 and solar-induced fluorescence data to the science community a year later; however, this data will likely be available sooner given the quality of the measurements that OCO-3 is already making. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23352

Image shows OCO-3's first preliminary solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) measurements over western Asia. Solar-induced fluorescence is the glow plants emit from photosynthesis — the process of plant growth that includes the capture of carbon from the atmosphere. Areas with lower photosynthesis activity are in shown in light green; areas with higher photosynthesis activity are shown in dark green. As expected, there is significant contrast in plant activity from areas of low vegetation near the Caspian Sea to areas of more dense vegetation like the forests and farms north and east of the Mingachevir Reservoir (near the center of the image). The mission team expects to complete OCO-3's In-orbit checkout phase — the period where they ensure all instruments and components are working and calibrated correctly — in August 2019. They are scheduled to release official CO2 and solar-induced fluorescence data to the science community a year later; however, the data will likely be available sooner given the quality of the measurements that OCO-3 is already making. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23353

NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are in view installed in the truck of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft inside the SpaceX facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 23, 2019. OCO-3 and STP-H6 will be delivered to the International Space Station on SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission (CRS-17) for NASA. STP-H6 is an x-ray communication investigation that will be used to perform a space-based demonstration of a new technology for generating beams of modulated x-rays. This technology may be useful for providing efficient communication to deep space probes, or communicating with hypersonic vehicles where plasma sheaths prevent traditional radio communications. OCO-3 will be robotically installed on the exterior of the space station’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate. CRS-17 is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in late April.

iss059e114054 (6/20/2019) --- View of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) payload on the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Exposed Facility (EF). The OCO-3, to be installed on the Japanese Experiment Module-Exposed Facility (JEM-EF) of the International Space Station (ISS), observes the complex dynamics of the Earth’s atmospheric carbon cycle. The OCO-3 payload is designed to collect the space-based measurements needed to quantify variations in the column-averaged atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) dry-air mole fraction, XCO2, with the precision, resolution, and coverage needed to improve the understanding of surface CO2 sources and sinks (fluxes) on regional scales (?1000 km), and the processes controlling their variability over the seasonal cycle.

This animation shows the accumulation of five adjoining swaths of data over the Los Angeles metropolitan area that when combined, create a map of carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations that covers about 50 square miles (80 square kilometers). Researchers have used the data, collected by NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 (OCO-3) instrument aboard the space station, to create one of the most accurate maps ever made from space of the human influence on CO2 abundances in the L.A. Basin Each pixel is about 1.3 miles (2.2 kilometers); the color indicates how much higher the concentration of CO2 is in that spot than in clean desert air north of the city (measured at NASA's Armstrong Research Center, upper right). The highest CO2 readings, in yellow on the map, are on the west side of downtown L.A. – a densely populated area with congested freeways and CO2-emitting industries. Yellow indicates atmospheric CO2 elevated by five or more molecules out of every million molecules of air, or five parts per million. That's equivalent to the amount that global atmospheric CO2 is rising globally on average every two years Most of the increasing CO2 in the global atmosphere comes from humans burning fossil fuels for energy, and 70% of that comes from cities. Los Angeles has set goals for cutting its carbon emissions. This type of data can help decisionmakers choose the most effective policies to reach those goals and to measure the effectiveness of new regulations. Data from ground level provides critical local measurements, but satellite data is equally necessary because it covers a wider area and also measure CO2 throughout the entire depth of the atmosphere. Animation available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24523

Kevin Mark, Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 (OCO-3) purge engineer with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, secures a separate fixture of OCO-3, stored apart from its payload container, on the truck transporting it from the Space Station Processing Facility high bay at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the SpaceX facility on March 18, 2019. The OCO-3 payload will be stowed in the trunk of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, where it will launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on the company’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for April 25, 2019, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Once the payload reaches the station, it will be removed from Dragon and robotically installed on the exterior of the orbiting laboratory’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate.

Kevin Mark, Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 (OCO-3) purge engineer with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, fastens a separate fixture of OCO-3, stored apart from its payload container, to a truck for transport from the Space Station Processing Facility high bay at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the SpaceX facility on March 18, 2019. The OCO-3 payload will be stowed in the trunk of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, where it will launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on the company’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for April 25, 2019, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Once the payload reaches the station, it will be removed from Dragon and robotically installed on the exterior of the orbiting laboratory’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate.

A transportation container carrying NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3, or OCO-3, payload is moved to a truck for its transport from the Space Station Processing Facility high bay at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the SpaceX facility on March 18, 2019. The OCO-3 payload will be stowed in the trunk of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, where it will launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on the company’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for April 25, 2019, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Once the payload reaches the station, it will be removed from Dragon and robotically installed on the exterior of the orbiting laboratory’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate.

NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3, or OCO-3, sits in a transportation container at the Space Station Processing Facility high bay at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida prior to its move to the SpaceX facility on March 18, 2019. The OCO-3 payload will be stowed in the trunk of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, where it will launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on the company’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for April 25, 2019, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Once the payload reaches the station, it will be removed from Dragon and robotically installed on the exterior of the orbiting laboratory’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate.

A forklift moves the transportation container carrying NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3, or OCO-3, payload to a truck for its move from the Space Station Processing Facility high bay at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the SpaceX facility on March 18, 2019. The OCO-3 payload will be stowed in the trunk of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, where it will launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on the company’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for April 25, 2019, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Once the payload reaches the station, it will be removed from Dragon and robotically installed on the exterior of the orbiting laboratory’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate.

Workers move NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3, or OCO-3, payload container out of the Space Station Processing Facility high bay at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to board a truck that will transport it to the SpaceX facility on March 18, 2019. The OCO-3 payload will be stowed in the trunk of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, where it will launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on the company’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for April 25, 2019, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Once the payload reaches the station, it will be removed from Dragon and robotically installed on the exterior of the orbiting laboratory’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate.

NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3, or OCO-3, payload sits in a transportation container at the Space Station Processing Facility high bay at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in preparation for its move to the SpaceX facility on March 18, 2019. The OCO-3 payload will be stowed in the trunk of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, where it will launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on the company’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for April 25, 2019, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Once the payload reaches the station, it will be removed from Dragon and robotically installed on the exterior of the orbiting laboratory’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate.

A transportation container carrying NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3, or OCO-3, payload is moved to a truck for transport from the Space Station Processing Facility high bay at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the SpaceX facility on March 18, 2019. The OCO-3 payload will be stowed in the trunk of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, where it will launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on the company’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for April 25, 2019, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Once the payload reaches the station, it will be removed from Dragon and robotically installed on the exterior of the orbiting laboratory’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate.

NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3, or OCO-3, sits in a transportation container at the Space Station Processing Facility high bay at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida prior to its move to the SpaceX facility on March 18, 2019. The OCO-3 payload will be stowed in the trunk of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which will launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on the company’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for April 25, 2019, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Once the payload reaches the station, it will be removed from Dragon and robotically installed on the exterior of the orbiting laboratory’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate.

NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3, or OCO-3, payload container is moved from the Space Station Processing Facility high bay at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to a truck that will transport it to the SpaceX facility on March 18, 2019. The OCO-3 payload will be stowed in the trunk of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, where it will launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on the company’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for April 25, 2019, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Once the payload reaches the station, it will be removed from Dragon and robotically installed on the exterior of the orbiting laboratory’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate.

Workers prepare to move NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3, or OCO-3, payload container out of the Space Station Processing Facility high bay at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida onto a truck that will transport it to the SpaceX facility on March 18, 2019. The OCO-3 payload will be stowed in the trunk of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which will launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on the company’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for April 25, 2019, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Once the payload reaches the station, it will be removed from Dragon and robotically installed on the exterior of the orbiting laboratory’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate.

A forklift moves the transportation container carrying NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3, or OCO-3, payload to a truck for its move from the Space Station Processing Facility high bay at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the SpaceX facility on March 18, 2019. The OCO-3 payload will be stowed in the trunk of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, where it will launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on the company’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for April 25, 2019, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Once the payload reaches the station, it will be removed from Dragon and robotically installed on the exterior of the orbiting laboratory’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate.

Workers prepare to move NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3, or OCO-3, payload container out of the Space Station Processing Facility high bay at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida onto a truck that will transport it to the SpaceX facility on March 18, 2019. The OCO-3 payload will be stowed in the trunk of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, where it will launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on the company’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for April 25, 2019, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Once the payload reaches the station, it will be removed from Dragon and robotically installed on the exterior of the orbiting laboratory’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate.

A transportation container carrying NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3, or OCO-3, payload sits at the Space Station Processing Facility high bay at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida bearing a warning sign of low oxygen levels from an active GN2 (gaseous nitrogen that creates a dry atmosphere) purge prior to its move to the SpaceX facility on March 18, 2019. The OCO-3 payload will be stowed in the trunk of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and will launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on the company’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for April 25, 2019, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Once the payload reaches the station, it will be removed from Dragon and robotically installed on the exterior of the orbiting laboratory’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate.

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- An Alliant motor designated for Stage 3 of a Taurus rocket is weighed by Orbital Sciences workers in Building 1555 at Vandenberg AFB. The Taurus will launch the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, in January 2009. The OCO is a new Earth-orbiting mission sponsored by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. OCO will provide space-based observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), the principal human-initiated driver of climate change. Mature technologies will be used to address NASA's highest priority carbon cycle measurement requirement. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory leads the OCO effort. Orbital Sciences Corporation is providing the Taurus launch vehicle; Hamilton Sundstrand Sensor Systems, the OCO spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- An Alliant motor designated for Stage 3 of a Taurus rocket is weighed by Orbital Sciences workers in Building 1555 at Vandenberg AFB. The Taurus will launch the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, in January 2009. The OCO is a new Earth-orbiting mission sponsored by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. OCO will provide space-based observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), the principal human-initiated driver of climate change. Mature technologies will be used to address NASA's highest priority carbon cycle measurement requirement. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory leads the OCO effort. Orbital Sciences Corporation is providing the Taurus launch vehicle; Hamilton Sundstrand Sensor Systems, the OCO spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- An Alliant motor designated for Stage 3 of a Taurus rocket is weighed by Orbital Sciences workers in Building 1555 at Vandenberg AFB. The Taurus will launch the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, in January 2009. The OCO is a new Earth-orbiting mission sponsored by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. OCO will provide space-based observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), the principal human-initiated driver of climate change. Mature technologies will be used to address NASA's highest priority carbon cycle measurement requirement. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory leads the OCO effort. Orbital Sciences Corporation is providing the Taurus launch vehicle; Hamilton Sundstrand Sensor Systems, the OCO spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, upper stack is prepared to be raised to vertical. The upper stack, consists of Stages 1, 2 and 3 of Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL rocket as well as the encapsulated OCO spacecraft. Once vertical, the upper stack will be lifted and attached to the Taurus Stage 0, at left. OCO is scheduled for launch aboard the Taurus Feb. 24 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Photo credit: NASA/Dan Liberotti, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the crane, at left, is attached to NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, upper stack to lift and attach the spacecraft to Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL rocket's Stage 0 (within the scaffolding). A portion of the umbilical tower (above it) is attached to the upper stack. The upper stack consists of Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Taurus as well as the encapsulated OCO spacecraft. OCO is scheduled for launch aboard the Taurus Feb. 24 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Photo credit: NASA/Dan Liberotti, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, two cranes have raised NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, spacecraft to vertical. OCO will be lifted and attached to the waiting Stage 0 motor of the Taurus XL launch vehicle in the tower. The OCO is attached to the upper stack, consisting of Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Taurus. The spacecraft is scheduled for launch aboard Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL rocket Feb. 24 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, OCO, upper stack is lowered onto the Stage 0 motor of Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL vehicle. The upper stack consists of Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Taurus, as well as the encapsulated OCO spacecraft. OCO is scheduled for launch the Taurus rocket Feb. 24 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Photo credit: NASA/Richard Nielsen, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, upper stack is prepared to be raised to vertical. The upper stack, consists of Stages 1, 2 and 3 of Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL rocket as well as the encapsulated OCO spacecraft. Once vertical, the upper stack will be lifted and attached to the Taurus Stage 0, at left. OCO is scheduled for launch aboard the Taurus Feb. 24 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Photo credit: NASA/Dan Liberotti, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, workers prepare NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, upper stack for attachment to Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL rocket's Stage 0. The upper stack consists of Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Taurus as well as the encapsulated OCO spacecraft. Orbital Sciences workers put the non-flight environmental shield over the fairing prior to erection. A portion of the umbilical tower (above it) is attached to the upper stack. OCO is scheduled for launch aboard the Taurus Feb. 24 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Photo credit: NASA/Dan Liberotti, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the crane in the foreground moves the cables used to lower NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, OCO, upper stack onto to the Taurus XL Stage 0 motor behind it. The upper stack consists of Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Taurus, as well as the encapsulated OCO spacecraft. OCO is scheduled for launch the Taurus rocket Feb. 24 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Photo credit: NASA/Richard Nielsen, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the cables from the crane overhead are removed from NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, OCO, upper stack. The upper stack was lowered onto the Stage 0 motor of Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL vehicle. The upper stack consists of Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Taurus, as well as the encapsulated OCO spacecraft. OCO is scheduled for launch the Taurus rocket Feb. 24 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Photo credit: NASA/Richard Nielsen, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Stage 0 of the Taurus XL launch vehicle for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory arrives at complex 576E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. It will be mated with stages 1, 2 and 3 for the launch of OCO. The OCO is a new Earth-orbiting mission sponsored by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. It is scheduled to launch Feb. 23. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Stage 0 of the Taurus XL launch vehicle for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory arrives at complex 576E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. It will be mated with stages 1, 2 and 3 for the launch of OCO. The OCO is a new Earth-orbiting mission sponsored by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. It is scheduled to launch Feb. 23. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB

Annemarie Eldering, project scientist for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, talks to NASA Social participants during a What’s On Board science briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. OCO-3 will be robotically installed on the exterior of the space station’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Annemarie Eldering, project scientist for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, talks to NASA Social participants during a What’s On Board science briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. OCO-3 will be robotically installed on the exterior of the space station’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Annemarie Eldering, project scientist for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, talks to NASA Social participants during a What’s On Board science briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. OCO-3 will be robotically installed on the exterior of the space station’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Annemarie Eldering, project scientist for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, talks to NASA Social participants during a What’s On Board science briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. OCO-3 will be robotically installed on the exterior of the space station’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, two cranes raise NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, spacecraft to vertical for attachment to the waiting Stage 0 motor of the Taurus XL launch vehicle in the tower. The OCO is attached to the upper stack, consisting of Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Taurus. The spacecraft is scheduled for launch aboard Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL rocket Feb. 24 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, ssembly is underway for the Taurus XL rocket that will launch NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, spacecraft. Lined up left to right are the Stage 1 and Stage 2 motors, the boattail, the avionics shelf and the Stage 3 motor. The graphite/epoxy boattail structure provides the transition from the smaller diameter of the Stage 2 motor to the larger diameter of the avionics skirt. The avionics skirt, also a graphite/epoxy structure, supports the avionics shelf and carries the primary structural loads from the fairing and payload cone. The aluminum avionics shelf supports the third stage avionics. The OCO is a new Earth-orbiting mission sponsored by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. The launch of OCO is targeted for January. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, two cranes are used to lift NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, spacecraft. It will be raised to vertical and attached to the waiting Stage 0 motor of the Taurus XL launch vehicle in the tower. The OCO is attached to the upper stack, consisting of Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Taurus. The spacecraft is scheduled for launch aboard Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL rocket Feb. 24 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, two cranes raise NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, spacecraft to vertical for attachment to the waiting Stage 0 motor of the Taurus XL launch vehicle in the tower. The OCO is attached to the upper stack, consisting of Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Taurus. The spacecraft is scheduled for launch aboard Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL rocket Feb. 24 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, OCO, upper stack is lowered onto the Stage 0 motor of the Taurus XL vehicle. The upper stack consists of Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Taurus, as well as the encapsulated OCO spacecraft. The spacecraft is scheduled for launch aboard Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL rocket Feb. 24 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Stages 1, 2 and 3 of Orbital Sciences’ Taurus XL launch vehicle for NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, have arrived and are prepared for erection at Space Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The OCO is an Earth-orbiting mission sponsored by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. The observatory will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze the data returned to better understand the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Launch is targeted for 1:51:30 a.m. PST Feb. 24. Photo credit: VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Stages 1, 2 and 3 of Orbital Sciences’ Taurus XL launch vehicle for NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, have arrived and are prepared for lifting onto Space Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The OCO is an Earth-orbiting mission sponsored by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. The observatory will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze the data returned to better understand the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Launch is targeted for 1:51:30 a.m. PST Feb. 24. Photo credit: VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, upper stack is prepared to be raised to vertical. The upper stack, consists of stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Taurus. The spacecraft is scheduled for launch aboard Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL rocket Feb. 24 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Workers prepare to erect Stages 1, 2 and 3 of Orbital Sciences’ Taurus XL launch vehicle for NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, at Space Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The OCO is an Earth-orbiting mission sponsored by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. The observatory will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze the data returned to better understand the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Launch is targeted for 1:51:30 a.m. PST Feb. 24. Photo credit: VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Stages 1, 2 and 3 of Orbital Sciences’ Taurus XL launch vehicle for NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, arrive at Space Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The OCO is an Earth-orbiting mission sponsored by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. The observatory will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze the data returned to better understand the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Launch is targeted for 1:51:30 a.m. PST Feb. 24. Photo credit: VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Stages 1, 2 and 3 of Orbital Sciences’ Taurus XL launch vehicle for NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, are transported from Building 1555 to Space Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The OCO is an Earth-orbiting mission sponsored by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. The observatory will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze the data returned to better understand the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Launch is targeted for 1:51:30 a.m. PST Feb. 24. Photo credit: VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, OCO, upper stack is lowered toward the Stage 0 motor of the Taurus XL vehicle. The upper stack consists of Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Taurus. The spacecraft is scheduled for launch aboard Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL rocket Feb. 24 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Stages 1, 2 and 3 of Orbital Sciences’ Taurus XL launch vehicle for NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, are parked under a tent at Space Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The OCO is an Earth-orbiting mission sponsored by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. The observatory will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze the data returned to better understand the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Launch is targeted for 1:51:30 a.m. PST Feb. 24. Photo credit: VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Stage 1, 2 and 3 motors of the Taurus XL rocket are being prepared for transfer to Space Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The Taurus is the launch vehicle for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, which is a new Earth-orbiting mission sponsored by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. The observatory is scheduled to launch Feb. 23 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. This improved understanding will enable more reliable forecasts of future changes in the abundance and distribution of CO2 in the atmosphere and the effect that these changes may have on the Earth's climate. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Stage 1, 2 and 3 motors of the Taurus XL rocket are being prepared for transfer to Space Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The Taurus is the launch vehicle for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, which is a new Earth-orbiting mission sponsored by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. The observatory is scheduled to launch Feb. 23 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. This improved understanding will enable more reliable forecasts of future changes in the abundance and distribution of CO2 in the atmosphere and the effect that these changes may have on the Earth's climate. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, OCO, upper stack is lifted high for transfer to the waiting Stage 0 motor of the Taurus XL vehicle at left. The upper stack consists of Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Taurus. The spacecraft is scheduled for launch aboard Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL rocket Feb. 24 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, cranes wait in the early morning hours for winds to subside in order to lift the tent that covers NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, the Taurus XL upper stack and the umbilical tower. The upper stack, consists of stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Taurus. The spacecraft is scheduled for launch aboard Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL rocket Feb. 24 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Stage 1, 2 and 3 motors of the Taurus XL rocket are being prepared for transfer to Space Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The Taurus is the launch vehicle for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, which is a new Earth-orbiting mission sponsored by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. The observatory is scheduled to launch Feb. 23 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. This improved understanding will enable more reliable forecasts of future changes in the abundance and distribution of CO2 in the atmosphere and the effect that these changes may have on the Earth's climate. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Space Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, an Orbital Sciences technician connects ground wires to the Stage 3 motor of the Taurus XL launch vehicle for NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO. The encapsulated cargo element containing the observatory is integrated with the vehicle. The OCO is an Earth-orbiting mission sponsored by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. The observatory will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze the data returned to better understand the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. Launch is targeted for Feb. 24 from Space Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg. Photo credit: VAFB/Wayne North

From left, high school student Aarthi Vijayakumar, MIT student David Li, and high school students Michelle Sung and Rebecca Li talk about their winning Genes in Space experiment for NASA during a What’s On Board science briefing to NASA Social participants at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are two of the experiments that also will be delivered to the space station on CRS-17. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Dr. Edward Kelly, with the University of Washington School of Pharmacy, discusses The Tissue Chips in Space project during a What’s On Board science briefing to NASA Social participants at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. Kelly and other researchers will send kidney tissue chip models to the space station to understand how microgravity affects kidney function, such as changes in vitamin D metabolism and formation of kidney stones. NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are two of the experiments that also will be delivered to the space station on CRS-17. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Dr. Edward Kelly, with the University of Washington School of Pharmacy, discusses The Tissue Chips in Space project during a What’s On Board science briefing to NASA Social participants at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. Kelly and other researchers will send kidney tissue chip models to the space station to understand how microgravity affects kidney function, such as changes in vitamin D metabolism and formation of kidney stones. NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are two of the experiments that also will be delivered to the space station on CRS-17. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Dr. Kristen John, principal investigator for Hermes at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, talks to NASA Social participants during a What’s On Board science briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. John presented on the Hermes Facility, an experimental microgravity facility that enables science experiments, microgravity exposure testing, testing of engineering components and CubeSats and any payloads that can fit in the Hermes design and operations constraints. NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are two of the experiments that also will be delivered to the space station on CRS-17. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Dr. Edward Kelly, with the University of Washington School of Pharmacy, discusses The Tissue Chips in Space project during a What’s On Board science briefing to NASA Social participants at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. Kelly and other researchers will send kidney tissue chip models to the space station to understand how microgravity affects kidney function, such as changes in vitamin D metabolism and formation of kidney stones. NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are two of the experiments that also will be delivered to the space station on CRS-17. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Dr. Kristen John, principal investigator for Hermes at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, talks to NASA Social participants during a What’s On Board science briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. John presented on the Hermes Facility, an experimental microgravity facility that enables science experiments, microgravity exposure testing, testing of engineering components and CubeSats and any payloads that can fit in the Hermes design and operations constraints. NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are two of the experiments that also will be delivered to the space station on CRS-17. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Mike Roberts, deputy chief scientist for the ISS Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, talks to NASA Social participants during a What’s On Board science briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are two of the experiments that will be delivered to the space station on CRS-17. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Dr. Edward Kelly, with the University of Washington School of Pharmacy, discusses The Tissue Chips in Space project during a What’s On Board science briefing to NASA Social participants at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. Kelly and other researchers will send kidney tissue chip models to the space station to understand how microgravity affects kidney function, such as changes in vitamin D metabolism and formation of kidney stones. NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are two of the experiments that also will be delivered to the space station on CRS-17. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

From left, high school student Aarthi Vijayakumar, MIT student David Li, and high school students Michelle Sung and Rebecca Li talk about their winning Genes in Space experiment for NASA during a What’s On Board science briefing to NASA Social participants at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are two of the experiments that also will be delivered to the space station on CRS-17. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Dr. Kristen John, principal investigator for Hermes at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, talks to NASA Social participants during a What’s On Board science briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. John presented on the Hermes Facility, an experimental microgravity facility that enables science experiments, microgravity exposure testing, testing of engineering components and CubeSats and any payloads that can fit in the Hermes design and operations constraints. NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are two of the experiments that also will be delivered to the space station on CRS-17. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Mike Roberts, deputy chief scientist for the ISS Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, talks to NASA Social participants during a What’s On Board science briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are two of the experiments that will be delivered to the space station on CRS-17. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Derrick Matthews, at left, moderator with NASA Communications, introduces Dr. Lucy Low, with the National Institutes of Health, during a What’s On Board science briefing to NASA Social participants at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. Low presented on the Tissue Chips in Space project that will test the ability of tissue chip technology to mimic how human organs work and reveal what effects microgravity has on tissue function. Headed to the space station will be lung and bone marrow chips, kidney chips, chips modeling the blood-brain barrier, and bone and cartilage chips. NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are two of the experiments that also will be delivered to the space station on CRS-17. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Dr. Lucy Low, with the National Institutes of Health, talks to NASA Social participants during a What’s On Board science briefing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. Low presented on the Tissue Chips in Space project that will test the ability of tissue chip technology to mimic how human organs work and reveal what effects microgravity has on tissue function. Headed to the space station will be lung and bone marrow chips, kidney chips, chips modeling the blood-brain barrier, and bone and cartilage chips. NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are two of the experiments that also will be delivered to the space station on CRS-17. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Dr. Lucy Low, with the National Institutes of Health, talks to NASA Social participants during a What’s On Board science briefing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. Low presented on the Tissue Chips in Space project that will test the ability of tissue chip technology to mimic how human organs work and reveal what effects microgravity has on tissue function. Headed to the space station will be lung and bone marrow chips, kidney chips, chips modeling the blood-brain barrier, and bone and cartilage chips. NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are two of the experiments that also will be delivered to the space station on CRS-17. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Dr. Lucy Low, with the National Institutes of Health, talks to NASA Social participants during a What’s On Board science briefing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. Low presented on the Tissue Chips in Space project that will test the ability of tissue chip technology to mimic how human organs work and reveal what effects microgravity has on tissue function. Headed to the space station will be lung and bone marrow chips, kidney chips, chips modeling the blood-brain barrier, and bone and cartilage chips. NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are two of the experiments that also will be delivered to the space station on CRS-17. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.