NASA’s Glory satellite ended up at the bottom of the southern Pacific Ocean early Friday morning, March 4, 2011. It was the victim of a failed launch that almost got the $424 million weather spacecraft into orbit. But as we all know...ALMOST doesn't count.
All seemed to be going as planned at the 2:10 a.m. PT launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. It wasn't until the final phase of the launch process, when a fairing covering the satellite was supposed to be ejected. Needless to say, it was not.
According to Space.com, Glory was intended to monitor two aspects of the Earth’s climate. It was designed to give scientists a dynamic look at tiny particles in the Earth’s atmosphere, called aerosols, in hopes of determining how they affect the planet’s weather. In addition, the satellite had instruments that measured variations in the amount of solar energy striking the highest regions of the Earth’s atmosphere.
According to NASA launch director Omar Baez, “All indications are that the satellite and rocket are in the southern Pacific Ocean.”
This is especially bad news for Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp, makers of the Taurus XL rocket that lifted the spacecraft to near-orbit. Sucks to be anyone involved right now.
SCREAM @ ME!!!
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