SpaceX Falcon 9 Successfully Launches NASA Earth Science Satellite PACE into Orbit
In a groundbreaking achievement, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched NASA’s Earth science satellite, PACE, into orbit. This launch marked a significant milestone for the U.S. government, as it was the first of its kind in over six decades. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40, overcoming delays caused by high winds.
The PACE spacecraft, short for Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem, carries advanced instruments designed to study ocean color, biological activity like phytoplankton, as well as clouds and aerosols in the atmosphere. With a total cost of $964 million, including reserves, the mission was developed at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland and is expected to last three years, with the potential to operate for at least a decade.
Karen St. Germain, director of NASA’s Earth science division, emphasized the significance of this mission during a prelaunch briefing. She stated, “In many ways, we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about our own oceans. PACE will be the most advanced mission we’ve ever launched to study ocean biology.” This sentiment highlights the importance of exploring and understanding our planet’s oceans, which cover a vast majority of Earth’s surface.
The planning for PACE began two decades ago, with the mission under development for nine years. However, it faced several challenges along the way. The Trump administration made multiple attempts to cancel the mission, but each time, Congress rejected the cuts. Jeremy Werdell, PACE project scientist, expressed gratitude towards the stakeholders who supported the mission despite these obstacles. He said, “One of the reasons that we’re sitting here today is because there were many in our stakeholder community who understood the potential impact of PACE and supported us moving forward.”
Notably, the launch of PACE was the first U.S. government mission to a polar or sun-synchronous orbit from Florida since 1960. Tim Dunn, senior launch director at NASA’s Launch Services Program, highlighted this achievement during a briefing. He explained that launches to polar orbits from Florida ceased after a launch failure in 1960 dropped debris on Cuba. However, SpaceX’s use of autonomous flight safety systems and the ability of the Falcon 9’s first stage to land on a droneship or back at the Cape made polar orbit launches feasible once again. In fact, the booster successfully landed back at Cape Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1 after the PACE launch.
Although most polar launches still occur from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the PACE mission specifically requested launching from Cape Canaveral. Julianna Scheiman, director of civil satellite missions at SpaceX, revealed that the spacecraft team preferred launching closer to their center at Goddard Space Flight Center. She explained, “Florida is much closer to Goddard than California, so here we are.”
The successful launch of PACE by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket represents a significant step forward in our understanding of Earth’s oceans. With its advanced instruments and a mission designed to study ocean biology, PACE will provide valuable insights into our planet’s most mysterious and vital ecosystem. As we continue to explore the depths of our oceans, PACE will undoubtedly play a crucial role in unraveling their secrets and furthering our knowledge of Earth’s intricate systems.