NASA disaster sets back years of research
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George Mount |
A NASA rocket, launched this morning from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base, ended in disaster when a mechanical failure caused it and the attached Orbiting Carbon Observatory research satellite to plummet into the ocean.
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Taurus rocket launch |
“Preliminary indications are that 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.”
- NASA press conference videofollowing the event
- NASA article and photo titled Launch Mishap Ends OCO Mission
- Orbiting Carbon Observatory mission overview
- Science instrument profile
- NASA website