At Vandenberg Air Force Base is ready to leave the Astrotech payload processing facility for Launch Complex 576-E. An umbilical line is attached.

At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the transporter holding NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, is ready to leave the Astrotech payload processing facility for Launch Complex 576-E. An umbilical line is attached. OCO will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. OCO is scheduled to launch Feb. 24 aboard an Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL rocket. Photo credit: NASA/VAFB