NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 is in orbit this morning following a flawless countdown and ascent aboard the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California was right on time at 2:56 a.m. PDT/5:56 a.m. EDT. This brings live coverage to an end. There will …
The observatory's solar arrays have deployed and are power positive according to NASA Launch Manager TIm Dunn. "All very good news," Dunn said. The Delta II "performed like a champ" throughout the countdown and ascent, he added. "There was pure joy in the Mission Director's Center at spacecraft sep, I can tell you that," Dunn …
Onboard cameras captured the separation of the OCO-2 spacecraft from the Delta II second stage:
Data from the spacecraft is flowing through the space-based Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System.
NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 is flying solo after its successful separation from the Delta II rocket's second stage. In the next three minutes, the spacecraft will stabilize itself and begin deploying its solar arrays.
Second-stage engine cutoff-2 is complete! The rocket is moving into position to release OCO-2.
Restart! The second-stage engine is burning for the final time. This is a short pulse lasting only 12 seconds.
We're less than a minute away from the restart of the second-stage engine to put OCO-2 in place for release. The OCO-2 spacecraft and Delta II vehicle are in good health as the coast phase comes to an end.
The vehicle and spacecraft have entered a coast phase lasting about 40 minutes.
