NASA PACE mission to take flight in 2024, aims to unveil Earth's atmospheric mysteries

NASA plans to launch the PACE mission in 2024, using advanced instruments to study aerosols, clouds, and ocean color, aiming for breakthroughs in climate science.

NASA PACE mission is gearing up for its 2024 launch. It will use advanced instruments to explore Earth's atmosphere. (NASA)

NASA PACE mission is all set for its 2024 launch. NASA is set to launch the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission with the aim of enhancing our understanding of Earth's atmosphere. Advanced polarimeters will be employed to study the interplay of light, aerosols, and clouds, contributing to a deeper comprehension of their impact on air quality and climate. Aerosols, encompassing tiny particles like smoke, dust, and pollutants, may appear inconspicuous, yet they play a crucial role in influencing our climate by absorbing and scattering sunlight, determining the amount of solar energy reaching Earth's surface.

PACE's Ocean Color Instrument (OCI)

The PACE mission will not only analyze aerosols but also explore the color of the ocean. The Ocean Color Instrument (OCI), the primary science instrument for PACE, is designed to measure the ocean's color across a spectrum from ultraviolet to shortwave infrared.

Advanced Polarimeters: Collaborative Insights for Breakthrough Discoveries

In addition, PACE will feature two polarimeters – the Spectro-polarimeter for Planetary Exploration (SPEXone) and the Hyper Angular Research Polarimeter (HARP2). NASA explains that the collaboration between SPEXone and HARP2 will provide complementary spectral and angular sampling, polarimetric accuracy, and spatial coverage.

This combined effort aims to offer improved atmospheric correction and a comprehensive range of aerosol and cloud science data beyond what the OCI alone could achieve. NASA anticipates significant breakthroughs in aerosol-cloud-ocean research through the synergistic payload of OCI, SPEXone, and HARP2.

Milestones in PACE's Journey: From Goddard Space Flight Center to Kennedy Space Center

Earlier on Tuesday, Nov. 14, NASA's PACE spacecraft arrived at the Astrotech Spacecraft Operations facility close to the agency's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida after completing its journey from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland.

In order to prepare ground equipment for offloading and processing prior to fuelling and final encapsulation, engineers and technicians arrived ahead of the spacecraft. The PACE project is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, with the agency's Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy Space Center, responsible for managing the launch service for the PACE mission.