NASA Begins Live Coverage for PACE Mission Launch From Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket topped with NASA's PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft inside a protective payload fairing is raised vertical at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket topped with NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft inside a protective payload fairing is raised vertical at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA Television

Good evening and welcome to this morning’s live launch blog coverage of NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission launch from Florida. 

NASA and SpaceX teams are currently counting down to liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the PACE spacecraft from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff is scheduled for 1:33 a.m. EST. 

Tonight’s coverage comes to you from the NASA News Center at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center. Follow along right here on the blog as we take you through the entire flight profile for the PACE mission. 

You can also watch the launch broadcast on NASA Television NASA+, the NASA app, and the agency’s website, as well as YouTube, X, Facebook, Twitch, and Daily Motion. 

Join the conversation, follow the launch, and get PACE mission updates from these accounts: 

X: @NASA, @NASA_LSP, @NASAEarth, @NASAKennedy, @NASAGoddard 

Facebook: NASA, NASA’s Launch Services Program, @NASAEarth, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 

Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASAGoddard 

Weather Clears for PACE Launch

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft stands vertical at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft stands vertical at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. 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. Liftoff of the PACE mission is set for no earlier than 1:33 a.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. Photo credit: SpaceX

Launch weather officers with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron predict 95% favorable weather conditions for the launch of NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.  

The launch has been delayed two times due to unfavorable weather conditions near the Space Coast. For the primary launch window early Thursday morning, the only concern is a very low risk of a Cumulus Cloud Rule violation.

Liftoff continues to be targeted for 1:33 a.m. EST Thursday, Feb. 8, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space in Florida. 

Follow along here on the blog as the countdown continues, or watch live coverage at 12:45 a.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 8 on the NASA+ streaming service, the NASA app, and the agency’s website, as well as YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms, including these accounts on social media:

X: @NASA, @NASA_LSP, @NASAEarth, @NASAKennedy, @NASAGoddard  
Facebook: NASA, NASA’s Launch Services Program, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 
Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASAGoddard  

Weather Delays Launch of NASA’s PACE Mission

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft stands vertical at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. 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.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft stands vertical at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. 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. Photo credit: SpaceX

NASA and SpaceX are standing down from the Wednesday, Feb. 7, launch of the agency’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission due to ground winds preventing prelaunch checkouts. The team is targeting liftoff at 1:33 a.m. EST Thursday, Feb. 8, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The satellite and rocket remain healthy and ready for launch.

Live launch coverage will begin on NASA+ and NASA TV public channel at 12:45 a.m. EST on Feb. 8.

Continue checking the PACE blog for additional mission updates, or join the conversation on social media by following these accounts:

X: @NASA, @NASA_LSP, @NASAKennedy, @NASAGoddard 
Facebook: NASA, NASA’s Launch Services Program, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 
Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASAGoddard 

Weather 50% For Launch of NASA’s Ocean, Atmosphere, Climate Mission

PACE spacecraft atop SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft stands vertical at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. Photo credit: SpaceX

Launch weather officers with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron predict 50% favorable weather conditions for the launch of NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. 

A very windy day is in store today as the low pressure system that impacted Central Florida the last couple of days pushes eastward. Winds will begin to decrease in the overnight hours. The main concern will be liftoff winds, with a smaller chance of a Cumulus Cloud Rule violation, according to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron.

Liftoff continues to be targeted for 1:33 a.m. EST Wednesday, Feb. 7, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space in Florida. 

Follow along here on the blog as the countdown continues, or watch live coverage on the NASA+ streaming service, the NASA app, and the agency’s website, as well as YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms, including these accounts on social media: 

X: @NASA, @NASA_LSP, @NASAEarth, @NASAKennedy, @NASAGoddard  
Facebook: NASA, NASA’s Launch Services Program, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 
Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASAGoddard  

Weather Delays Launch of NASA’s Ocean, Atmosphere, Climate Mission

A Falcon 9 rocket stands on a launch pad with a black back ground from the darkness.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft encapsulated atop is raised to a vertical position at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. Photo credit: SpaceX

NASA and SpaceX are standing down from the Tuesday, Feb. 6 launch of the agency’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission due to unfavorable weather conditions. NASA and SpaceX are now targeting launch at 1:33 a.m. EST Wednesday, Feb. 7, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Both the PACE satellite and the Falcon 9 rocket remain healthy.

Live launch coverage will begin on NASA+ and NASA TV public channel at 12:45 a.m. EST Wednesday, Feb.7.

Continue checking the PACE blog for additional mission updates, or join the conversation on social media by following these accounts:

X: @NASA, @NASA_LSP, @NASAKennedy, @NASAGoddard
Facebook: NASA, NASA’s Launch Services Program, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASAGoddard

Weather 40% Favorable for Tuesday PACE Mission Launch

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft encapsulated atop is raised to a vertical position at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. 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. Liftoff of the PACE mission is set for no earlier than 1:33 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft encapsulated atop is raised to a vertical position at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. Liftoff of the PACE mission is set for no earlier than 1:33 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. Photo credit: SpaceX

Launch weather officers with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron predict a 40% chance of favorable weather conditions for the launch of NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission at 1:33 a.m. EST Tuesday, Feb. 6, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.  

Lingering showers and storms from the weekend will continue across the area today and into the overnight hours with accompanying winds expected to increase. The primary weather concerns at launch are cumulus clouds, thick cloud layers, and liftoff winds.  

The next available launch date is Wednesday, Feb. 7. Launch weather officers forecast a 60% chance of favorable conditions for this launch opportunity, with the cumulus cloud rule and liftoff winds as the primary weather concerns.

To learn more about the PACE mission, visit: 

https://pace.oceansciences.org/mission.htm 

Continue checking the PACE blog for additional mission updates, or join the conversation on social media by following these accounts: 

X: @NASA, @NASA_LSP, @NASAKennedy, @NASAGoddard
Facebook: NASA, NASA’s Launch Services Program, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASAGoddard   

PACE ‘Go’ for Launch, NASA Prelaunch News Conference Next

A PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission and prelaunch news conference takes place at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. Participants, from left to right are: Derrol Nail, NASA Communications; Jim Free, NASA associate administrator; Karen St. Germain, Earth Science Division director, NASA Headquarters; Tim Dunn, senior launch director, Launch Services Program, NASA’s Kennedy; Julianna Scheiman, director Civil Satellite Missions, SpaceX; and Brian Cizek, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, U.S. Space Force.
A PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission and prelaunch news conference takes place at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. Participants, from left to right are: Derrol Nail, NASA Communications; Jim Free, NASA associate administrator; Karen St. Germain, Earth Science Division director, NASA Headquarters; Tim Dunn, senior launch director, Launch Services Program, NASA’s Kennedy; Julianna Scheiman, director Civil Satellite Missions, SpaceX; and Brian Cizek, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, U.S. Space Force. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

NASA will host a prelaunch news conference today, Feb. 5, at 9 a.m. EST, to discuss the agency’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission. This follows the NASA and SpaceX launch readiness review Sunday, Feb. 4, resulting in a “go” for launch. 

Participants for the briefing include: 

  • Jim Free, NASA associate administrator 
  • Karen St. Germain, director, NASA’s Earth Science Division 
  • Tim Dunn, senior launch director, NASA’s Launch Services Program 
  • Julianna Scheiman, director, Civil Satellite Missions, SpaceX 
  • Brian Cizek, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, U.S. Space Force 

 Live coverage of the news conference will air on NASA+ and NASA TV. 

 PACE is scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than 1:33 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 6, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. 

To learn more about the PACE mission, visit:  

https://pace.oceansciences.org/mission.htm  

Join the conversation and get updates from these accounts:  

X: @NASA, @NASA_LSP, @NASAKennedy, @NASAGoddard
Facebook: NASA, NASA’s Launch Services Program, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASAGoddard 

Science Briefing on Tap Ahead of NASA’s PACE Mission Launch

A SpaceX Falcon 9 payload fairing with artwork of NASA's PACE mission.
NASA and SpaceX technicians safely encapsulate NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft in SpaceX’s Falcon 9 payload fairings on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2024, at the Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo Credit: NASA Goddard/Denny Henry

Officials from NASA will discuss the agency’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission during a science briefing at 11 a.m. EST today, Feb. 4. The briefing will air live on NASA+. 

NASA participants include:  

      • Kate Calvin, chief scientist and senior climate advisor 
      • Karen St. Germain, director, Earth Science Division  
      • Jeremy Werdell, PACE project scientist
      • Andy Sayer, PACE atmospheric scientist 
      • Natasha Sadoff, Satellite Needs Program Manager 

Liftoff of the PACE mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled for no earlier than 1:33 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 6, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

To learn more about the PACE mission, visit:

https://pace.oceansciences.org/mission.htm  

Join the conversation and get updates from these accounts: 

X: @NASA, @NASA_LSP, @NASAKennedy, @NASAGoddard
Facebook: NASA, NASA’s Launch Services Program, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASAGoddard 

 

Encapsulated PACE Spacecraft Transported to Launch Pad

NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft encapsulated inside SpaceX’s Falcon 9 payload fairings is transported from the Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft is one step closer to launch. Workers transported the spacecraft to SpaceX’s hangar at Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Thursday, Feb. 1, for payload integration to the Falcon 9 rocket supporting this mission. 

Prior to transport, PACE was encapsulated inside SpaceX’s Falcon 9 payload fairings at the Astrotech Space Operations facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center. 

After payload integration, teams will roll the launch vehicle to the pad at SLC-40 and raise the vehicle vertical ahead of liftoff, which is targeted for no earlier than 1:33 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 6.  

PACE will help inform climate science by better understanding how the ocean and atmosphere interact. PACE will observe ocean ecosystem health, clouds, and tiny airborne particles called aerosols, such as smoke and dust. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center manages PACE while the agency’s Launch Services Program, based at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, manages the launch service for the mission. 

 

Teams Hold Flight Readiness Review for NASA’s PACE Mission

A SpaceX Falcon 9 payload fairing with artwork of NASA's PACE mission.
NASA and SpaceX technicians safely encapsulate NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft in SpaceX’s Falcon 9 payload fairings on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2024, at the Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The fairing halves protect the spacecraft from aerodynamic pressure and heating during the ascent phase of launch. Photo credit: NASA Goddard/Katie Mellos

NASA, SpaceX, and PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission managers met today, Thursday, Feb. 1, to conduct a Flight Readiness Review at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During the review, teams provided an update on the mission status and certified the readiness to initiate final launch preparation activities.

Once launched, PACE will use three instruments called the Ocean Color Instrument, Spectro-polarimeter for Planetary Exploration, and the Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter No.2 to collect data on clouds, aerosols, and phytoplankton growth that can determine ocean color. Measuring the color and amount of light will help scientists better understand the types and locations of microscopic algae, which are vital to the health of Earth’s oceans and its marine life. PACE will contribute to NASA’s more than 20 years of global satellite observations of ocean biology and key measurements related to air quality and climate.

Up next, SpaceX will roll the fully integrated Falcon 9 rocket carrying the encapsulated PACE spacecraft to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Once vertical, the launch team will perform final checkouts ahead of liftoff scheduled for no earlier than 1:33 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 6.