Space & Earth Science
NORAD ID: 40059
Int'l Code: 2014-035A
Perigee: 690.1 km
Apogee: 696.3 km
Inclination: 98.2 °
Period: 98.5 minutes
Semi major axis: 7064 km
Launch date: July 2, 2014
Source: United States (US)
Comments: OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2) is an American environmental science satellite, a replacement for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory which was lost in a launch failure in 2009. The OCO-2 satellite was built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, based around the LEOStar-2 bus. The spacecraft will be used to study carbon dioxide concentrations and distributions in the atmosphere. OCO-2 was ordered after the original OCO spacecraft failed to achieve orbit. During the first satellite's launch atop a Taurus-XL in February 2009, the payload fairing failed to separate from around the spacecraft and the rocket did not have sufficient power to enter orbit with its additional mass. Although a Taurus launch was initially contracted for the reflight, the launch contract was cancelled after the same malfunction occurred on the launch of the Glory satellite two years later. OCO-2 joined the A-train satellite constellation, becoming the sixth satellite in the group. Members of the A-train fly very close together in sun-synchronous orbit, to make nearly simultaneous measurements of Earth. A particularly short launch window of 30 seconds was necessary to achieve a proper position in the train.
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Two Line Element Set (TLE):
1 40059U 14035A 14204.81118255 .00000189 00000-0 46950-4 0 226
2 40059 098.1972 145.4240 0004426 005.2207 354.9067 14.62205620 3126
Source: AFSPC
NASA's NSSDC Master Catalog entry for OCO 2
