The planned launch of a US satellite to study carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere was delayed Tuesday due to problems with a water system on the launch pad, dpa reported. US space agency NASA will try again to launch the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 satellite at 2:56 am (0956 GMT) Wednesday from Vandenberg Air Force Station in California. The satellite known as OCO-2 will be the first dedicated to measuring carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and will allow scientists to monitor changes in the amount of the greenhouse gas across regions and over time. Scientists have pointed to carbon dioxide trapped in the Earth's atmosphere as a cause of climate change. An earlier NASA satellite designed to measure carbon dioxide crashed in 2009 when it failed to separate from its rocket after launch.
