NASA Releases Orbiting Carbon Observatory Accident Summary

PASADENA, Calif. - A NASA panel that investigated the unsuccessful Feb. 24 launch of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, has completed its report.
NASA's OCO satellite to study atmospheric carbon dioxide launched aboard a Taurus XL rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Feb. 24 at 1:55 a.m. PST, but it failed to reach orbit.
The Mishap Investigation Board led by Rick Obenschain, deputy director at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., verified that the Taurus launch vehicle fairing failed to separate upon command. The fairing is a clamshell structure that encapsulates the satellite as it travels through the atmosphere. The failure to shed the fairing mass prevented the satellite from reaching its planned orbit and resulted in its destruction.
The board identified four potential causes that could have resulted in the fairing not separating:

-- A failure of the frangible joint subsystem. A frangible joint is an explosive device that provides instantaneous separation of flight vehicle structures while maintaining confinement of explosive debris.-- A failure in the electrical subsystem that prevented sufficient electrical current to initiate the required ordnance devices.-- A failure in the pneumatic system, which supplies pressure to thrusters which separate the fairing.- A cord snagged on a frangible joint side rail nut plate.

Space Shuttle Mission: STS-127

Image above: Pilot Doug Hurley works out on the bicycle ergometer on Endeavour's middeck. Photo credit: NASA

Crews Work With Robotics, Prepare for Friday Spacewalk
On its inaugural operational use, the Japanese robotic arm installed the first experiments and hardware on Kibo’s new porch at the International Space Station.
Station and space shuttle Endeavour crew members took turns operating the arm to move equipment from a Japanese payload carrier to the Japanese Exposed Facility outside Kibo. The operations were performed by Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 20 Flight Engineer Tim Kopra, shuttle Commander Mark Polansky, shuttle Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Julie Payette.