PACE to Study our Earth

Cape Canaveral S.F.S. – FL. Early this morning, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lit the night sky and began the PACE mission for NASA. The launch occurred at 1:33 AM EST from Launch Complex 40. The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud ocean Ecosystem or PACE is an Earth observation satellite designed to measure ocean health, air quality, and the effects of a climate change on our planet by way of a variety of onboard instruments. PACE was lofted into orbit on a previously flown first stage booster that made a successful landing at LZ-1.

In a statement from NASA: “Congratulations to the PACE team on a successful launch. With this new addition to NASA’s fleet of Earth-observing satellites, PACE will help us learn, like never before, how particles in our atmosphere and our oceans can identify key factors impacting global warming,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. Image Credit: Graham Smith