Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) in Earth orbit, artwork. A NASA mission, the OCO was designed to make global measurements of levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, helping to improve studies on global warming and other aspects of climate change. The OCO was launched on a Taurus XL rocket on 24 February 2010 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA. The faring failed to separate properly, and the satellite was lost. A Mishap Investigation Board is being convened to determine the cause of the failure.