NASA's Lost Glory Satellite: Why It Failed and Why It Matters

NASA's Earth-observing satellite, called Glory, launched this morning (March 4), but within minutes, scientists realized the rocket would not make it into orbit. The failed launch has implications for the study of Earth's climate and the changes that are shifting it. Glory launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on a Taurus XL rocket. The nose cone of the rocket covering the satellite failed to separate, making it too heavy and too slow to achieve orbit. The failed launch comes after a week of delays due to technical difficulties, and is the second consecutive failure for a Taurus XL rocket. NASA has established an investigation board to determine the cause of the launch failure. More

(Source: Space.com - Mar 4)