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In its Decadal Survey Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond, the National Research Council of the U.S. National Academies recommended a mission to produce global atmospheric column CO2 measurements without seasonal, latitudinal, or diurnal bias using simultaneous laser remote sensing of CO2 and O2. The goal of an Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) mission is to enhance understanding of the role of CO2 in the global carbon cycle with three science objectives:

• Quantify global spatial distributions of atmospheric CO2 on scales of weather models in the 2010-2020 era;
• Quantify current global spatial distribution of terrestrial and oceanic sources and sinks of CO2 on 1° x 1° grids at weekly resolution; and
• Provide a scientific basis for future projections of CO2 sources and sinks through data-driven enhancements of Earth system process modeling.

More info about ASCENDS can be found here: http://cce.nasa.gov/ascends/index.htm