Orbiting Carbon Observatory

Orbiting Carbon Observatory ( OCO ) was the name of scientific satellites NASA from the Earth System Science Pathfinder ( ESSP ) program to collect data on carbon content of the soil.

The 273 million U.S. dollars (equivalent to 213 million euros ) expensive and 530 kg satellite was on 24 February 2009 with a Taurus XL rocket at 9:55 clock UTC from Vandenberg Air Force Base launch site 576- E in the U.S. State of California started and should be brought into a 700 km high orbit that was not achieved due to an error during the separation of the payload fairing shortly after ignition of the third stage drive. Due to the additional weight of the thrust of the other stages was not enough to achieve the necessary speed so that the rocket with the payload near the Antarctica reentered into the atmosphere and fell into the sea. The U.S. space agency NASA spoke of a "serious disappointment for the science."

Construction

OCO decreed for the measurements with a high resolution three-channel spectrometer which should measure the absorption of carbon dioxide and molecular oxygen in the infrared portion of the light reflected by the Earth's atmosphere sunlight. It should here be made on the ground twelve measurements per second with a resolution of three square kilometers. For the three -axis stabilized attitude control of the satellite decreed among other things, a star sensor and four reaction wheels. To train control, a GPS receiver and four hydrazine thrusters were installed. For communication to the base two S- band antennas for receiving commands and an X- band antenna to transmit telemetry and measurement data should be used to earth.

OCO 2

NASA planned in February 2013 an identical replica of the crashed OCO under the name OCO 2 to start with the same version of the Taurus rocket as the first copy. After the false start of the satellite Glory to the next Taurus 3110 because again did not drop the payload fairing, NASA announced the launch contract. Through the re-tendering, the planned start date postponed. Currently, the start of the July 1, 2014 is provided with a Delta II.