Launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia (because Russia loves launching things into space), Sentinel-5 Precursor is the first Copernicus satellite dedicated to monitoring our atmospheric failure. A floating tattletale with a front-row seat to the end of the world. Sentinel-5P’s remit includes tracking ozone, air quality, UV radiation, and our dwindling ability to breathe. Its four spectrometers clock all the small things floating around that may or may not eventually kill us.

In 2020, during the pandemic, Sentinel-5P recorded a drop in NO₂ over China, confirming what we all suspected: Earth’s back is on the ropes, and it only gets a breather when we're forced to sit in the corner. So, as politicians continue to debate climate change, Sentinel-5P keeps its silent, thankless vigil. Watching, waiting, commiserating.