Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|NASA Earth-observing satellite}}

| name = Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem

| names_list = Pre-Aerosol, Cloud, and ocean Ecosystem<br/>PACE

| image = File:PACE Spacecraft beauty2.jpg

| image_caption = An artist's concept of NASA's PACE spacecraft in orbit.

| image_size = 300px

| mission_type = [[Remote sensing]]

| operator = [[NASA]]

| COSPAR_ID = 2024-025A

| SATCAT = 58928

| website = {{url|https://pace.oceansciences.org/home.htm}}

| mission_duration = 3-10 years (planned) <br/> {{time interval|February 8, 2024, 06:33:00|show=ymd|sep=,}} (in progress)

| spacecraft = PACE

| spacecraft_type =

| manufacturer = [[Goddard Space Flight Center]]

| launch_mass = 1694 kg

| dry_mass =

| payload_mass =

| dimensions = 1.5 x 1.5 x 3.2 meters

| power = 1000 [[Watt|watts]]

| launch_date = 8 February 2024, 06:33 UTC <ref name="space-20240208">{{cite web |url=https://www.space.com/spacex-launches-nasa-pace-climate-ocean-satellite |title=SpaceX launches NASA's PACE satellite to study Earth's oceans, air and climate |date=8 February 2024 |access-date=8 February 2024}}</ref> <ref name="nasa-20240208">{{cite press release |url=https://blogs.nasa.gov/pace/2024/02/08/liftoff-nasas-earth-science-mission-launches-into-space-coast-sky/ |title=Liftoff! NASA’s Earth Science Mission Launches Into Space Coast Sky |work=[[NASA]] |date=8 February 2024 |access-date=8 February 2024}}</ref>

| launch_rocket = [[Falcon 9 Block 5]]

| launch_site = [[Cape Canaveral Space Force Station|Cape Canaveral]], [[Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40|SLC-40]]

| launch_contractor = [[SpaceX]]

| disposal_type =

| deactivated =

| last_contact =

| decay_date =

| orbit_reference = [[Geocentric orbit]] (planned)

| orbit_regime = [[Sun-synchronous orbit]]

| orbit_altitude = 676.5 km

| orbit_inclination = 98.0°

| orbit_period = 2-day global coverage 60° instrument view angle

| apsis = gee

| trans_band = [[S band|S-Band]] - Command & Telemetry<br/>[[Ka band|Ka-Band]] - Science Data

| instruments = Ocean Color Instrument (OCI)<br/>Spectro-Polarimeter for Planetary Exploration (SPEXone)<br/>Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter #2 (HARP2)

| insignia = PACE_Mission_Logo.png

| insignia_caption = PACE mission logo

| insignia_size = 200px

| programme =

| previous_mission =

| next_mission =

After being proposed for cancellation under President Trump's FY 2018 budget, it was restored by Congress.<ref name="PACE restored">{{cite web|last=Foust|first=Jeff |url=https://spacenews.com/nasa-receives-20-7-billion-in-omnibus-appropriations-bill/|title=NASA receives US$20.7 billion in omnibus appropriations bill|publisher=SpaceNews|date=22 March 2018|access-date=15 March 2021}}</ref> The PACE project is managed by NASA [[Goddard Space Flight Center]].<ref name="Goddard">{{cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/press/2015/march/new-nasa-mission-to-study-ocean-color-airborne-particles-and-clouds|title=New NASA Mission to Study Ocean Color, Airborne Particles and Clouds|date=13 March 2015|access-date=15 March 2021}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> The main instrument and bus were designed and built at Goddard Space Flight Center.<ref name="NASA20160720">{{cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/pace-will-uncover-new-information-about-ocean-health|title=NASA's PACE Mission Will Uncover New Information About Health of Our Oceans|publisher=NASA|date=20 July 2016|access-date=15 March 2021}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>

On 4 February 2020, NASA announced the selection of [[SpaceX]] to launch PACE on a [[Falcon 9]], at a total cost to NASA of US$80.4 million, including the launch service and other mission-related costs.<ref name="SFN20200205">{{cite web|url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/02/05/spacex-wins-contract-to-launch-nasas-pace-earth-science-mission/|title=SpaceX wins contract to launch NASA's PACE Earth science mission|last=Clark|first=Stephen|publisher=Spaceflight Now|date=5 February 2020|access-date=15 March 2021}}</ref> The total costofthe mission is $964 million, which includes spacecraft construction, launch, and operations.<ref name=ars/> PACE successfully launchedon8 February 2024 at 06:33 UTC.<ref name="nasa-20231211">{{cite press release |url=https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-invites-media-to-launch-of-new-mission-to-study-oceans-clouds/ |title=NASA Invites Media to Launch of New Mission to Study Oceans, Clouds |work=[[NASA]] |date=11 December 2023 |access-date=11 December 2023}}</ref> On 17 April 2024 it was announced that first operational data was received.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-17|title=NASA’s Near Space Network Enables PACE Climate Mission to ‘Phone Home’ - NASA |url=https://www.nasa.gov/technology/space-comms/nasas-near-space-network-enables-pace-climate-mission-to-phone-home/ |access-date=2024-04-18 |language=en-US}}</ref>

The '''Pre-Aerosol, Cloud, and ocean Ecosystem''' satellite (PACE)<ref name="Pace mission">{{cite web |url=https://sites.nationalacademies.org/cs/groups/ssbsite/documents/webpage/ssb_160751.pdf|title=Pre-Aerosol, Cloud, and ocean Ecosystem (PACE) Mission|publisher=NASA|date=31 March 2015|access-date=15 March 2021}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> was approved to move forward out of its preliminary stage of planning on 16 June 2016 at the Key Decision Point-A (KDP-A) event. According to project manager Andre Dress, a significant milestone for the next stage was that the official mission budget became available for use on 1 July 2016.<ref name="NASA20160720"/>

[[File:GSFC 20231031 PACE 030771.jpg|thumb|PACE in the clean room]]

* '''Spectro-Polarimeter for Planetary Exploration''' (SPEXone) is a multi-angle polarimeter that provides continuous wavelengths coverage in the range 385-770 nm. It measures the intensity, [[Linear polarization|Degree of Linear Polarization]] (DoLP) and [[Linear polarization|Angle of Linear Polarization]] (AoLP) of [[sunlight]] reflected back from [[Atmosphere of Earth|Earth's atmosphere]], [[Terrain|land surface]], and [[ocean]]. The focus of the SPEXone development is to achieve a very high accuracy of DoLP measurements, which facilitates accurate characterization of [[Aerosol|aerosols]] in the atmosphere. It observes a ground pixel under 5 viewing angles (0°, ±20° and ±58° on ground), where the ±20° viewports will be used for cross calibration with the OCI. Aerosols are small solid or liquid particles suspended in the air that affect climate directly through interaction with solar radiation. Aerosols affect climate indirectly by changing the micro- and macro-physical properties of clouds. According to the [[Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]], aerosols are the largest source of error in quantifying the radiative forcing of climate change. SPEXone will enable measurements of optical and micro-physical properties of aerosols with unprecedented detail and accuracy.<ref name="SPEXone">{{cite web|url=https://pace.oceansciences.org/spexone.htm|title=SPEXone Polarimeter|publisher=NASA|access-date=15 March 2021}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>

* '''Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter #2''' ('''HARP2''') is a wide angle imaging [[polarimeter]] designed to measure aerosol particles and clouds, as well as properties of land and water surfaces. The amount and type of particles in suspension in the atmosphere are relevant to applications pertaining to health effects, cloud life cycle and precipitation, climate, etc. HARP2 will combine data from multiple along track viewing angles (up to 60), four spectral bands in the [[Visible spectrum|visible]] and [[Infrared|near infrared]] ranges, and three angles of linear polarization to measure the microphysical properties of the atmospheric particles including their size distribution, amount, refractive indices and particle shape. HARP2 will be designed and built by [[University of Maryland, Baltimore County]] (UMBC)'s ''Earth and Space Institute''.<ref name="HARP2">{{cite web|url=https://pace.oceansciences.org/harp2.htm|title=HARP2 Polarimeter|publisher=NASA|access-date=15 March 2021}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> The HARP2 instrument was preceded by '''HARP''' ('''HyperAngular Rainbow Polarimeter'''), a NASA cubesat that was launched to the ISS on 2 November 2019, deployed from the ISS on 19 February 2020, achieved first light on 15 April 2020 and decayed from orbit on 4 April 2022. COSPAR 1998-067QZ, SATCAT 45256.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Martins |first1=J. Vanderlei |title=HARP: Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter CubeSat |url=https://esto.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Vanderlei-HARP.pdf |website=NASA |publisher=UMBC |access-date=5 February 2021 |date=23 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Krebs |first=Gunter |url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/harp.htm |title=HARP |work=Gunter's Space Page |date=14 January 2023 |access-date=11 December 2023}}</ref>

==Mission==

===Launch===

[[File:PACE Spacecraft Transport from Astrotech to SLC-40 (KSC-20240201-PH-JBS01 0036).jpg|thumb|right| PACE spacecraft, encapsulated inside a Falcon 9 payload fairing, being transported to Space Launch Complex 40 on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024]]

[[File:PACE Launch.jpg|thumb|Launch of the PACE spacecraft aboard a Falcon 9 rocket]]

PACE was launched on 8 February, 2024, at a 1:33 am EST instantaneous [[launch window]], on a [[SpaceX]] [[Falcon 9]] rocket from [[Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40]], after two days of delays caused by bad weather. Shortly after launch, the rocket performed a [[dogleg maneuver]] to place it in a southbound trajectory. After first stage separation, the Falcon 9 booster performed a boostback burn and returned to land on the launch site, where it will be refurbished and [[Reusable launch vehicle|reused]] on future flight. This was the fourth flight of this particular booster, which is designated [[List of Falcon 9 first-stage boosters|B1081]]. The second stage of the rocket propelled PACE into its final orbit at an altitude of 676.5 kilometers, and the spacecraft was separated about 13 minutes after launch.<ref name=nasaspaceflight/><ref name=ars/>

Unusual for an east coast launch, this was a [[polar orbit|polar launch]] that placed the spacecraft into a [[Sun-synchronous orbit]], a type of orbit commonly used on observation satellites because it sees a given spot on Earth at the same time every day. These launches are usually carried out from [[Vandenberg Space Force Base]] in California, to prevent debris from landing on populated areas, but SpaceX resumed polar launches from Florida in 2020 because of its ability to land the Falcon 9 booster safely and the introduction of the [[Autonomous Flight Safety System]] on the Falcon rockets. PACE was the first US government mission to launch to a polar orbit from Florida since 1960. The choice to launch PACE from Florida was simply a matter of convenience, due to it being located closer to the Goddard Space Flight Center, where the mission is operated.<ref name=nasaspaceflight>{{cite web|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2024/02/pace-launch/|author=Justin Davenport |title=Falcon 9 launch PACE science satellite for NASA|work=NASASpaceFlight|access-date=8 February 2024}}</ref><ref name=spacenews>{{cite web|author=Jeff Foust|url=https://spacenews.com/falcon-9-launches-pace-earth-science-mission/|title=Falcon 9 launches PACE Earth science mission|work=Spacenews|access-date=8 February 2024}}</ref><ref name=ars>{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/02/trump-tried-to-kill-it-but-nasas-new-climate-satellite-is-finally-in-orbit/|title=NASA launches a billion-dollar Earth science mission Trump tried to cancel|author=Stephen Clark|work=Ars Technica|access-date=8 February 2024}}</ref>

The cost of the launch was $80.4 million.<ref name=nasaspaceflight/> After launch PACE entered a 60-day commissioning period before publication of data. <ref name=ars/>

* [[Large strategic science missions|List of NASA Large Strategic Science Missions]]

{{NASA space program}}

{{Orbital launches in 2024}}

[[Category:2024 in spaceflight]]