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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2009
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7

Crash Ends Mission to Track Global Warming

Rocket carrying satellite ends up in ocean, sinking $280M project

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(AP) – A rocket carrying a NASA satellite crashed near Antarctica after a failed launch early yesterday, ending a $280 million mission to track global warming from space. The rocket carrying the Orbiting Carbon Observatory blasted off just before 2am from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. But minutes later a cover protecting the satellite during launch failed to separate from the rocket, a preliminary investigation found.

The 986-pound satellite was supposed to be placed into a polar orbit 400 miles high to track carbon dioxide emissions. The project was 9 years in the making, and the mission was supposed to last 2 years. "Certainly for the science community it's a huge disappointment," said a project manager for  the rocket and satellite. "It's taken so long to get here."

A rocket carrying NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory on the launch pad. The rocket blasted off early Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009, but failed to separate from the launch vehicle and landed in the ocean.
A rocket carrying NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory on the launch pad. The rocket blasted off early Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009, but failed to separate from the launch vehicle and landed in the ocean.   (AP Photo/U.S. Air Force, Senior Airman Cole M. Presley)
This handout photo released by Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., shows the launch early Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009, of a Taurus XL rocket equipped with NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellite.
This handout photo released by Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., shows the launch early Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009, of a Taurus XL rocket equipped with NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellite.   (AP Photo/ U.S. Air Force, Airman 1st Class Andrew Lee)
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riffran
Feb 24, 09 11:40 AM CST
Speaking of satellites...I just read a day or two ago, that the "missing ice in the artic" as big as California, that was so alarming was due to not global warming, but a failing componet on the sat that was doing the measurements, causing a bias error in the overall data....now the ice is *ahem* back Reply
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riffran
Feb 24, 09 11:57 AM CST
dang it I can't find the site now ...but I found one called "Icecap" that had some intresting data...here is a little excerpt....."1980 Southern Hemisphere = 4.7 million sq km 1980 Northern Hemisphere = 15.0 million sq km Total = 19.7 million sq km 2009 Southern Hemisphere = 5.8 million sq km 2009 Northern Hemisphere = 14.1 million sq km Total = 19.9 million sq km"......since the site may be biased against the global warming alarmist.....who knows....they even said on their own site that anybody can twist real and factual data to make it support their conclusions......so what do you beleive? Reply
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IN RESPONSE:
Mr.C
Feb 24, 09 12:51 PM CST
...that nature will run its course and we won't need to interfere
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IN RESPONSE:
Collusive
Feb 24, 09 2:23 PM CST
wow, i wish i was as ignorantly optimistic as you Mr.C...
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NutsInNY
Feb 24, 09 12:56 PM CST
THE BAD NEWS: wacko right wingers can keep arguing that global warming doesn't exist... THE GOOD NEWS: they'll at least have to admit that gravity does exist! Reply
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