Edinburgh researchers "devastated" over satellite launch failure

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO), a NASA satellite intended to collect atmospheric carbon data for analysis by Edinburgh University researchers, has crashed into the ocean near Antarctica.

The crash was caused by a malfunction during launch procedures on the 23rd of February.

Speaking to The Journal, Dr Paul Palmer, head of the research team at The University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences described how he and his team were “absolutely devastated” on hearing the news which “took the rest of the day to sink in”.

The data from OCO was designed to be complementary to measurements from a second satellite, the Japanese craft GOSAT, launched earlier this year.

It was hoped that the cumulative data would enable researchers to analyse the levels of CO2 in the earth's lower atmosphere with a particular focus on areas responsible for emitting and trapping carbon. Precise knowledge of such regions could be very useful in the fight against global warming, giving scientists the ability to identify CO2 producing countries, as well as highlighting environments crucial in trapping and locking carbon, and thus important to safeguard.

Now, however, Dr Palmer and his team will have to rely solely on GOSAT for their research.

Fortunately a great deal of research can be done with data from GOSAT alone. Dr Palmer explained: “Both instruments were designed to operate independently of each other. Of course it would've been better with two independent satellites orbiting the earth measuring the same quantity but life and science goes on.”

Despite the disappointment and setbacks of the launch failure Dr Palmer and his team are focusing on the positives and what can still be achieved.

He stated: “Bottom line: GOSAT still promises to deliver the data necessary to locate and improve estimation of continental-scale surface inputs and outputs of CO2. This will be the first space-borne mission dedicated to do so.”