A NASA investigation team is trying to determine why a protective nose cone failed to detach during the launching of a climate satellite on Tuesday morning, dooming the $278 million mission and leaving scientists without a much-anticipated advance in the tracking of global carbon dioxide emissions.

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory lifted off on schedule at 1:55 a.m. Pacific time from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California aboard a four-stage Taurus XL rocket. But about three minutes later, seven seconds after the ignition of the third stage, the payload fairing  a nose cone that protects the satellite as it rises through the atmosphere  failed to separate as commanded.

“It’s a huge disappointment to the entire team that’s worked very hard over years and years and really did their best to see it through,” Charles P. Dovale, the launching manager, said at a news conference. “The reason not everyone is able to do this is it’s hard. And even when you do the best you can, you can still fail. It’s a tough business.”

Data received during the launching indicated that the spacecraft’s computer had sent commands to set off small explosive charges to split the nose cone in two, like opening a clamshell. The third and fourth stages burned properly, but because of the added weight of the nose cone, the rocket did not accelerate as much as necessary.