PIA11233: Artist's Concept of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory
This image is an artist's concept of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO).
 Mission:  Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) 
 Spacecraft:  Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO)
 Product Size:  1434 x 830 pixels (w x h) 
 Produced By:  JPL 
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA11233.tif (3.578 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA11233.jpg (249.4 kB)  

Click on the image above to download a moderately sized image in JPEG format (possibly reduced in size from original)

Original Caption Released with Image:

This image is an artist's concept of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO).

On February 24, 2009, NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellite failed to reach orbit after its 1:55 a.m. PST 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.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL

Image Addition Date:
2008-10-09