Precision requirements are determined for space-based column-averaged CO2 dry air mole fraction data. These requirements result from an assessment of spatial and temporal gradients in the relationship between precision and surface CO2 flux uncertainties inferred from inversions of the data, and the effects of biases on the fidelity of CO2 flux inversions. Observational system simulation experiments and synthesis inversion modeling demonstrate that the Orbiting Carbon Observatory mission design and sampling strategy provide the means to achieve these data precision requirements
