Orbiting Carbon Observatory

For the successful re-flight of this mission, see Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2.

Orbiting Carbon Observatory
(OCO)
An artist rendition of the OCO satellite as it would look in orbit.
Mission typeClimatology
OperatorNASA
Mission durationLaunch failure
2 years (planned)
Spacecraft properties
BusLEOStar-2
ManufacturerOrbital Sciences[1]
Launch mass530 kg (1,170 lb)[1]
Payload mass150 kg (330 lb)[1]
DimensionsStowed: 2.3 × 1.4 m (7.5 × 4.6 ft)[1]
Power786 W [1]
Start of mission
Launch date24 February 2009, 09:55:31 (2009-02-24UTC09:55:31) UTC[2]
RocketTaurus-XL 3110 (T8)
Launch siteVandenberg, LC-576E
ContractorOrbital Sciences
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeSun-synchronous
Orbiting Carbon Observatory 1.jpg

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) was a failed NASA satellite mission intended to provide global space-based observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). The original spacecraft was lost in a launch failure on 24 February 2009, when the payload fairing of the Taurus rocket which was carrying it failed to separate during ascent.[3] The added mass of the fairing prevented the satellite from reaching orbit.[4] It subsequently re-entered the atmosphere and crashed into the Indian Ocean near Antarctica.[5][6] The replacement satellite, Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, was launched 2 July 2014 aboard a Delta II rocket.[7][8] The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3, a stand-alone payload built from the spare OCO-2 flight instrument, was installed on the International Space Station's Kibō Exposed Facility in May 2019.[9]

  1. ^ a b c d e Parkinson, Claire L.; Ward, Alan; King, Michael D., eds. (2006). "Orbiting Carbon Observatory" (PDF). Earth Science Reference Handbook. NASA. pp. 199–203. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  2. ^ Overview of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) Mishap Investigation Results For Public Release (PDF) (Report). NASA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 February 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  3. ^ Heiney, Anna (24 February 2009). "OCO Launch Coverage". NASA.
  4. ^ Brahic, Catherine (24 February 2009). "CO2-tracking satellite crashes after lift-off". New Scientist.
  5. ^ Minard, Anne (24 February 2009). "NASA Satellite Crashes Back to Earth". National Geographic News. Archived from the original on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 28 February 2009.
  6. ^ Achenbach, Joel; Eilperin, Juliet (25 February 2009). "Satellite Crashes After Its Launch". The Washington Post. Retrieved 28 February 2009.
  7. ^ "Homepage: Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2)". NASA / Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 2013. Archived from the original on 22 February 2003. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  8. ^ Rasmussen, Carol (2 April 2014). "NASA's OCO-2 brings sharp new focus on global carbon". NASA. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  9. ^ "Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3: About the Mission". NASA. Retrieved 24 February 2019.