Posts: 1966 From: Atlanta, GA Registered: Feb 2007
posted 02-24-2009 06:14 AM
The Orbiting Carbon Observatory failed to reach orbit early this morning after being launched from Vandenberg. The failure seems to be the payload fairing failing to separate. There will be a briefing on NASA TV currently scheduled for 8am Eastern time.
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 02-24-2009 09:09 AM
NASA release
NASA's Launch Of Carbon-Seeking Satellite is Unsuccessful
NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellite failed to reach orbit after its 4:55 a.m. EST liftoff Tuesday from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base.
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.
A Mishap Investigation Board will be immediately convened to determine the cause of the launch failure.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
NASA's $273 million Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellite crashed into the ocean near Antarctica shortly after launch today from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., atop an Orbital Sciences Corp. Taurus XL booster. Telemetry indicated a protective nose cone fairing failed to separate early in the climb to space, weighing the rocket down and preventing the spacecraft from reaching orbit.
Michael Davis Member
Posts: 528 From: Houston, Texas Registered: Aug 2002
posted 02-25-2009 11:57 AM
I think I need some education here from the experts. How is it possible to have a fairing separation failure at this point in space flight history? I mean we've been launching satellites since 1957 and have been through 1000's of these separations. I would think that this task was perfected with Sputnik and many redundancies would be built into any launch to ensure success.
Is this separation just much harder to achieve than I would guess?