Nasa satellite crashes into ocean

Published on Tuesday 24 February 2009 14:29

NASA'S first spacecraft dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide and global warming crashed into the ocean after failing to launch today.

The satellite failed to separate from its rocket, resulting in it not reaching orbit and coming down in the Pacific Ocean near Antarctica, the space centre said.

Launch managers described the incident as a "huge disappointment". A Mishap Investigation Board is now looking into what went wrong.

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory and its Taurus booster blasted off at 4.55am from its base in California.

But within minutes a fault occurred. Nasa said the fairing – the structure that shelters the satellite – appears to have failed to separate from the rocket.

At a press conference following the mishap, launch director Chuck Dovale said it was a "huge disappointment for a team that has worked very hard for a number of years".

He added: "Even when you do your best, you can still fail."

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory was to be the first space mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide – the main man-made driver of climate change.

It was to map the globe once every 16 days for at least two years, monitoring carbon dioxide levels.

In so doing, it was hoped it would build up a picture of regional distribution of the greenhouse gas, seasonal variation of both human and natural sources and how carbon dioxide sinks react.

In its mission statement, Nasa said the satellite would provide information that could "help policymakers and business leaders make better decisions to ensure climate stability and retain our quality of life."