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NASA's PACE Satellite Launches to Study Earth's Oceans and Atmosphere

Equipped with advanced instruments, the satellite aims to enhance our understanding of climate change through detailed observations.

NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft, atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, successfully lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 1:33 a.m. EST Thursday, Feb. 8. PACE is NASA’s newest earth-observing satellite that will help increase our understanding of Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and climate by delivering hyperspectral observations of microscopic marine organisms called phytoplankton, as well new data on clouds and aerosols. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on NASA's Plankton, Aerosol Cloud Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Feb. 8, 2024.
NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Climate, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol Cloud Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. The spacecraft is equipped with instruments to assess the health of the oceans by measuring the distribution of phytoplankton, tiny plants and algae.

Overview

  • NASA's PACE satellite, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, aims to study Earth's oceans and atmosphere in unprecedented detail.
  • The mission will focus on the interactions between plankton, aerosols, clouds, and the ocean ecosystem, enhancing our understanding of climate change.
  • PACE's advanced instruments will observe the Earth in 200 colors, compared to the 7 or 8 colors seen by current satellites, allowing for detailed study of phytoplankton and atmospheric particles.
  • The satellite's data will improve weather forecasting, track harmful algal blooms, and contribute to climate research, with initial data expected in one to two months.
  • Despite previous attempts by the Trump administration to cancel the project, PACE was successfully launched, marking a significant step forward in Earth observation and climate science.