Carbon checking satellite has launch problems

A global warming monitoring satellite was hit by technical problems on its launch today.

The Nasa project was intended to be a two-year mission to track carbon dioxide emissions worldwide.

Scientists said it experienced “technical problems” shortly after take-off from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Launch managers shifted to a contingency plan because a fairing designed to shield the satellite as it shoots upwards through the atmosphere failed to separate properly.

The satellite, part of a $280 (€218m) mission, is Nasa’s first satellite dedicated to monitoring carbon dioxide on a global scale.