Posted on 02/24/2009 7:03:39 AM PST by WL-law
A NASA satellite crashed back to Earth about three minutes after launch early Tuesday, officials said. ...
NASA launches a rocket from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base on Tuesday. "We could not make orbit," NASA program manager John Brunschwyler said. "Initial indications are the vehicle did not have enough [force] to reach orbit and landed just short of Antarctica in the ocean." "Certainly for the science community, it's a huge disappointment."
The satellite, which would have monitored greenhouse gases to study how they affect the Earth's climate, was launched on a rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 1:55 a.m. PT (4:55 a.m. ET).
But the payload fairing -- a clamshell-shaped structure that allows the satellite to travel through space -- failed to separate from the rocket, NASA officials said. .... ...
The $273 million satellite, called the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, would have collected "precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere" to help better forecast the changes in carbon dioxide "and the effect that these changes may have on the Earth's climate."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
NASA isn't focusing on its core mission well enough?
Hansen/Gore hijacking science, and it is now all crashing into the sea?
Perhaps NASA should outsource to India. They have a good satellite launch track record.
Shaudenfraude
Hyperbole much? FGS...it's not ALL crashing into the sea.
One frikkin launch. It is rocket science after all.
Just what we need!
ML/NJ
Perhaps it was sabotage - they already know the satellite would have shown global warming is a hoax. Can’t let that happen.
In frozen Antarctica no less.....
Part of the stimulus package, no doubt...
God telling NASA to lay off the global warming crap.
Did they forget to convert imperial to metric again?
Which NASA would have misused to predict terrible things to come from CO2.
Where did the BRD end up?
Took the words right of my mouth.
All hail Gaia.
First thing that went through my mind. Someone did not want that box in orbit. 50 years of space launches and they cannot achieve orbit? BS, someone did not intend for that package to achieve orbit..
The lock washers were Imperial. Bolts and nuts were SAE.
You guys are all missing the point. This crash was CAUSED BY GLOBAL WARMING. The end is coming. Be prepared. ;).
The satellite, which would have monitored greenhouse gases
Maybe it hit a cloud of greenhouse gas causing the crash,got to watch them clouds.
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