“That spectra, captured by a satellite, can give a deeper insight into reality than we can see with the eye. Isn’t that fascinating? I continue to find it incredibly exciting”.
Jochen Landgraf is senior scientist at SRON and lead scientist of the TANGO-Carbon instrument that measures CO2 and CH4 from space.
“I started out as a theoretical particle physicist. But I have noticed that combining a theoretical description with my personal visual experience fuels my fascination with physics much further. In addition, light phenomena in the atmosphere are also incredibly beautiful to look at”.
“The reflection of light through clouds alone: you see with your own eyes what clouds do with light. The light tells us something about the microscopic properties of the clouds. It drives me enormously that you can model your own visual perception and thus gain a deeper insight into a subject.”
Sharing data
“I am a scientist. Science that is not shared is a waste of your time. I want to share the insights we get from our satellites as widely as possible. As I once wrote in a blog for science.nu, it is a special milestone when measurements from a satellite instrument become freely available to everyone.
Ultimately, transparent and open science guarantees the reliability of our work, as we have been demonstrating for years now in the Netherlands with the processing of TROPOMI data. It is very nice to see that many scientists outside Europe also use TROPOMI data.”
Bring measurements closer to people
“In the coming years I will be working on TANGO as a lead scientist. With the TANGO satellite duo, we will be able to zoom in on air pollution, up to 300 by 300 metres, and even see emissions from power stations. This data and our algorithm will be accessible to everyone. We will then be able to bring greenhouse gas measurements even closer to the people. Climate change is a major challenge for our society. Tackling global warming starts with you”.
Jochen Landgraf is a senior scientist at SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research. As lead scientist within the TANGO mission, Jochen will ensure that TANGO’s measurements of carbon dioxide and methane are correct and that the data can be used by scientists around the world. Watch the video to see what the TANGO mission means.