NASA delays launch of satellite to track carbon pollution

WASHINGTON: A water flow problem on Tuesday forced the US space agency to postpone the launch of a satellite to track atmospheric carbon dioxide, a leading greenhouse gas.

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 was due to take off atop a Delta 2 rocket at 2:56 am Pacific time (0956 GMT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. But the operation was halted 46 seconds before scheduled liftoff time due to an issue with water flow to the rocket, NASA said.

The launch window on Tuesday was quite short, just 30 seconds.

The timing had to be precise so that the satellite could join the A-Train, a constellation of five other international Earth-observing satellites.

More details on the nature of the problem and a time for the next launch attempt were expected later Tuesday, NASA commentator George Diller said.

NASA´s previous attempts to launch carbon satellites failed in 2009 and 2011. (AFP)

Pakistan’s economy on right track, says Dar

NEW YORK: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has claimed that Pakistan’s economy was on right track, Geo News reported on Tuesday.

Addressing a public gathering of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, he said that US investors had shown keen interest in Pakistan’s international bond.

He said that the investors had offered to invest over one billion dollars in the international bond.

The minister said that up to seven million dollars program would be approved by the World Bank at the end of next month.