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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.

PACE Spacecraft Encapsulated in Payload Fairing

NASA's PACE spacecraft encapsulated in SpaceX Falcon 9 payload fairing halves. — NASA and SpaceX technicians safely encapsulate NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft in SpaceX’s Falcon 9 payload fairings on Tuesday, 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/Katie Mellos

NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft is now safely encapsulated in SpaceX’s Falcon 9 payload fairings.

The fairing halves protect the spacecraft from aerodynamic pressure and heating during the ascent phase of launch. Approximately three minutes after liftoff, the halves are jettisoned and return to Earth.

Upcoming milestones for PACE include payload integration to the Falcon 9 rocket ahead of the vehicle rolling out to the pad at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

PACE will extend and improve upon NASA’s more than 20 years of global satellite observations of our living ocean, atmospheric aerosols, and clouds from its destination in a sun-synchronous, polar orbit. Its instruments will observe and measure how ocean ecosystems interact with the atmosphere in a changing climate.

The PACE project is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The agency’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy Space Center, is responsible for managing the launch service for the PACE mission.

Liftoff is targeted for no earlier than 1:33 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

NASA’s PACE Spacecraft Mated to Payload Adapter

NASA's PACE spacecraft is fitted to the payload adapter. — NASA and SpaceX technicians connect NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft to the payload adapter on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024, at the Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA Goddard/Denny Henry

NASA and SpaceX technicians connected NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft to the payload adapter on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, at the Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Now that PACE is securely attached to the payload adapter, teams will encapsulate the spacecraft inside the protective payload fairings ahead of integration with the Falcon 9 rocket.

The PACE mission will increase our understanding of Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and climate by delivering hyperspectral observations of microscopic marine organisms called phytoplankton, as well new measurements of clouds and aerosols.

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

NASA Climate Science Spacecraft Arrives ‘on PACE’ for Launch

Technicians monitor movement as a crane hoists NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) observatory spacecraft after being uncrated on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023, at the Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

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

Engineers and technicians arrived ahead of the spacecraft to prepare ground equipment for offloading and processing before fueling and final encapsulation.

PACE, which stands for Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and ocean Ecosystem, is targeted 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 mission will help 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 PACE project is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The agency’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy Space Center, is responsible for managing launch service for the PACE mission.