Which observatory/satellite was launched into space first, Hakucho or Chandra X-ray Observatory?
Hakucho Hakucho (also known as CORSA-b before launch) was Japan's first X-ray astronomy satellite, developed by the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science (then a division of the University of Tokyo). It was launched by the ISAS M-3C-4 rocket on February 21, 1979 and reentered the atmosphere on April 16, 1985 .
Orbiting Carbon Observatory The Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) is a NASA satellite mission intended to provide global space-based observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO). The original spacecraft was lost in a launch failure on 24 February 2009, when the payload fairing of the Taurus rocket which was carrying it failed to separate during ascent. The added mass of the fairing prevented the satellite from reaching orbit. It subsequently re-entered the atmosphere and crashed into the Indian Ocean near Antarctica. The replacement satellite, Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2, was launched 2 July 2014 aboard a Delta II rocket. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3, a stand-alone payload built from the spare OCO-2 flight instrument, will be installed on the International Space Station's Kibō Exposed Facility in December 2016.