Forum satellite will investigate how Earth warms
Europe will launch a satellite to obtain a high-resolution view of Earth's greenhouse effect. The Forum mission will carry a spectrometer to sense the far-infrared radiation coming up off the Earth. It's in this long wavelength portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that water vapour and carbon dioxide absorb energy very efficiently, warming the planet in the process. Dr Helen Brindley from Imperial College London is a leading figure on the mission team. She spoke with our science correspondent Jonathan Amos.