NASA’s PACE Spacecraft Prepares for Launch in Climate Science Mission

NASA’s PACE spacecraft successfully completed its journey from the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, to the Astrotech Spacecraft Operations facility near the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023.

Upon arrival, engineers and technicians prepared ground equipment for offloading and processing before fueling and final encapsulation. The mission is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in early 2024 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The PACE mission aims to clarify how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide, improve upon NASA’s 20-plus years of global satellite observations of ocean biology and atmospheric aerosols, and continue key measurements related to air quality and climate. The project is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy Space Center, is responsible for managing launch service for the PACE mission.

To ensure the content’s credibility, this article has undergone Science X’s editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted fact-checked sources used throughout the article while proofreading it to ensure accuracy and clarity.