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Orbiting Carbon Observatory
Orbiting Carbon Observatory 1.jpg
Artist rendition of the OCO satellite as it would look in orbit
Mission type Climatology
Operator NASA
Mission duration Launch failure
Planned: 2 years
Spacecraft properties
Bus LEOStar-2
Manufacturer Orbital Sciences
Launch mass 530 kg (1,170 lb)
Payload mass 150 kg (330 lb)
Dimensions Stowed: 2.3 × 1.4 m (7.5 × 4.6 ft)
Power 786 W
Start of mission
Launch date 24 February 2009, 09:55:31 (2009-02-24UTC09:55:31) UTC
Rocket Taurus-XL 3110
Launch site Vandenberg LC-576E
Contractor Orbital
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Sun-synchronous
Orbiting Carbon Observatory Logo.jpg

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) was a NASA satellite mission that was supposed to provide world-wide observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide from space. (CO2). It was lost in a launch failure on February 24, 2009, when the box of the Taurus rocket which was carrying it failed to come off during launch. The added weight of the box it was in prevented the satellite from reaching its intended speed and height. After that it fell back into the atmosphere and crashed into the Indian Ocean near Antarctica.

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