NASA releases accident summary of doomed carbon satellite

Accident summary of doomed CO2 satellite released

LOS ANGELES — A NASA panel investigating the loss of a climate satellite earlier this year says a hardware problem prevented it from reaching orbit.

A summary of the findings was released Friday. NASA says the actual accident report will not be made public because it contains sensitive information.

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory splashed into the ocean near Antarctica in February after launching from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California aboard a Taurus rocket.

Accident investigators say the nose cone protecting the satellite failed to separate from the rocket. Although they could not pinpoint the exact cause for the failure, they say four potential problems with the rocket’s hardware may be to blame.

The $278 million mission was designed to track global carbon dioxide emissions.