NASA's PACE mission launched into space. What is it about?

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission was successfully launched on Thursday (Feb 8). A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the PACE spacecraft blasted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40. In a post on X, NASA said, "Today we put the PACE in space! The newest NASA Earth-observing satellite launched on Feb 8 at 1.33 am ET."

Add WION as a Preferred Source

"Separation confirmed—PACE is now flying free from its SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. We’ll be keeping PACE with the NASA Earth spacecraft throughout its mission as it studies our ocean and clouds," NASA said in a separate post.

What is PACE?

According to NASA, PACE will study ocean health, air quality, and the effects of a changing climate for the benefit of humanity. "The satellite’s hyperspectral ocean colour instrument will allow researchers to measure oceans and other waterbodies across a spectrum of ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light," NASA said in a statement.

"This will enable scientists to track the distribution of phytoplankton and – for the first time from space – identify which communities of these organisms are present on daily, global scales. Scientists and coastal resource managers can use the data to help forecast the health of fisheries, track harmful algal blooms, and identify changes in the marine environment," it added.

The PACE spacecraft carries two polarimeter instruments, Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter #2 and Spectro-polarimeter for planetary exploration. These instruments will detect "how sunlight interacts with particles in the atmosphere, giving researchers new information on atmospheric aerosols and cloud properties, as well as air quality at local, regional, and global scales," the statement said.

Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division, Science Mission Directorateat NASA, said that the mission will profoundly advance knowledge of the ocean's role in the climate cycle.

"As an open-source science mission with early adopters ready to use its research and data, PACE will accelerate our understanding of the Earth system and help NASA deliver actionable science, data, and practical applications to help our coastal communities and industries address rapidly evolving challenges," Germain added.

'PACE will help us learn like never before'

Reacting to the mission's successful launch, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said that PACE "will help us learn, like never before, how particles in our atmosphere and our oceans can identify key factors impacting global warming."

The mission is being managed by NASA Goddard, which also built and tested the spacecraft and the ocean colour instrument.

“Missions like this are supporting the Biden-Harris Administration’s climate agenda and helping us answer urgent questions about our changing climate,” Nelson added.