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.
Liftoff continues to be targeted for 1:33 a.m. EST 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 coverageonthe NASA+ streaming service, the NASA app, and the agency’s website, as well asYouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms, including these accounts on social media:
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.
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:
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:
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 coverageonthe NASA+ streaming service, the NASA app, and the agency’s website, as well asYouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms, including these accounts on social media:
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:
Editor’s note, Feb. 6, 2024: NASA and SpaceX stood down from PACE’s Feb. 6 launch attempt due to unfavorable weather conditions. Launch is now targeted for 1:33 a.m. EST Wednesday, Feb. 7.
Editor’s note, Feb. 7, 2024: NASA and SpaceX stood down from PACE’s Feb. 7 launch attempt due to unfavorable weather conditions. Launch is now targeted for 1:33 a.m. EST Wednesday, Feb. 8.
There’s a good reason why NASA’s PACE satellite is launching in the early morning hours. Late tonight, I’ll venture out in the chilly Merritt Island air to catch a glimpse of a historic sight. At 1:33 a.m., February 6, NASA is slated to launch the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
Why so early in the morning? The launch is timed to accommodate the satellite’s orbit around Earth.
PACE will be in a Sun-synchronous orbit, meaning it’s synced to always maintain the same position relative to the Sun. This also means it will cross Earth’s equator at the same local time for each orbit, and the angle at which the sun illuminates Earth will be consistent for each image that it takes. This allows scientists to collect consistent data.
“An Earth-observing satellite generally wants the Sun well overhead during observations,” said Scott Patano, flight dynamics system development lead for PACE at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
To get this level of lighting during its orbit, PACE wants the Sun to be almost behind it as it observes the Earth. Though if the Sun happens to be directly behind the satellite, there may be glare or reflections off the ocean, which isn’t ideal, especially considering one of its main purposes is to collect ocean data. To prevent glare, PACE will be slightly offset – not directly in front of the Sun. If you imagine the Sun is at the 12:00 angle, PACE will orbit at 1:00.
So why the 1:33 a.m. launch? The best answer to that question is… math. Really cool math. By launching south out of Florida on the dark side of the Earth, the math works out perfectly to get the satellite right into place on the approaching India as it crosses the equator for the first time on the daylight side of the Earth by 1:00 p.m. local time.
A previous night launch at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches with NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) spacecraft onboard from Launch Complex 39A, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021. Launch occurred at 1:00 a.m. EST. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
While some satellites launch first into a temporary orbit, before moving into their permanent position, PACE will be directly injected into its final orbit, “an effectively instantaneous launch,” said Joel Parker, flight dynamics lead for PACE at Goddard.
This leaves little wiggle room for the launch time: a mere 90-second window for the launch to proceed. A tense minute and a half for years of striking data.
So while I’ll be prescribing a late afternoon nap for myself, I know that when I wake up, I’ll be getting ready to see PACE rocketed up to its new home – where it will provide a stunning new view of ours.
Header image caption: The dark water of the turn basin at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center mirrors the night lights and the Vehicle Assembly Building and Launch Control Center, silhouetted against the post-sunset sky. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
By Erica McNamee, Science Writer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
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.
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
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.
While not exactly like “Jeopardy!”, PACE trivia is just as fun – and often as challenging! To prepare for the upcoming launch of the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite, PACE team members, friends and family gathered on Feb. 4 for an afternoon of facts, food, and fun at the Tiny Turtle restaurant in Cocoa Beach.
Ivona Cetinić, an oceanographer at the Ocean Ecology Lab at NASA Goddard, pointed out phytoplankton during the hands-on-experiment portion of the event. The phytoplankton, found in a lake earlier in the day, were projected onto the screen from under a microscope. Image Credit: NASA Goddard/Erica McNamee
The excitement in the atmosphere was palpable – everyone talking animatedly among themselves. The crowd quieted down, however, to see Bridget Seegers, oceanographer for PACE at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, start the hands-on activities scheduled for the event. She and other PACE team members peered into a microscope, showing live phytoplankton and zooplankton that are invisible to the human eye.
She demonstrated how chlorophyll, a molecule found in phytoplankton that gives them their green color, fluoresces in red light. This led into a discussion about satellite remote sensing and how people see light in comparison to how satellites measure it.
Seegers and co-trivia-host Andy Sayer, PACE’s project science lead for the atmosphere, explained how PACE is going to help scientists learn more about the ocean, aerosols, and clouds. They encouraged the crowd to listen carefully – they dropped helpful hints for the trivia questions to come.
This led into what the crowd had all been waiting for: a friendly competition of trivia. Split into teams, the crowd went through a series of 36 fun questions all related to PACE in some way. It ranged from questions familiar to the crowd of scientists and engineers, like “What color does chlorophyll fluoresce?” (answer: red) to some more obscure questions like “How big was the shark from ‘Jaws’?” (answer: 25 feet long).
Seegers and her team of graders checked off correct trivia answers. Image Credit: NASA Goddard/Erica McNamee
It was a competitive crowd and a smart one too, answering some difficult questions about Earth, PACE, and even moons far out into the solar system. Points were tallied, but Seegers stressed that everyone walked away as a winner, having learned more about the mission and gathered together for a fun event.
Header Image Caption: Bridget Seegers and Andy Sayer presenting about phytoplankton and aerosols before the trivia questions began at the Tiny Turtle. Image Credit: NASA Goddard/Erica McNamee
By Erica McNamee, Science Writer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
