Launch director Chuck Dovale, from the Kennedy Space Center, explained that NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellite failed to reach orbit short after liftoff after the fairing on the Taurus XL launch vehicle failed to separate.

 

The fairing is a clamshell structure that encapsulates the satellite as it travels through the atmosphere, he explained. The countdown proceeded normally, although there still were minor incidents to deal with.

 

John Brunschwyler, program manager for the Taurus XL, said the whole team was very disappointed by the events. He also explained that everything seemed to go well for the first three minutes into the flight.

 

But as the fairing separates, he explained, they expected to see a jump in acceleration, since the fairing is heavier that the object that it's flying. That jump in acceleration did not take place, and therefore reaching orbit with that much extra weight was impossible.

 

The vehicle then landed in the ocean, near Antarctica. A further investigation to determine the cause of the launch failure will take place, NASA specialists said.

 

The mission of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory was to map the global distribution of carbon dioxide sources, in addition to gathering data on atmospheric carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide cycle. The satellite would have allowed scientists to gather approximately 8 million carbon dioxide measurements every 16 days. Updates on the situation will continue over the next few days.