The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) decided to postpone the launch of its PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission, originally scheduled for Tuesday (February 6). This collaborative mission between NASA and Elon Musk-led SpaceX has been rescheduled for 12:03 PM (IST) on February 7 due to unfavorable weather conditions prevailing on Tuesday.
Upon launch, the satellite will be positioned in a Sun-synchronous orbit, a trajectory synchronized to maintain a constant relationship with the Sun. Consequently, the satellite will consistently cross the Earth’s equator at the same local time during each orbit. This orbital arrangement ensures that the Sun will be positioned nearly directly behind the PACE satellite as it observes Earth.
The launch will occur from the Spaceport located at Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA. The timing of the launch has been strategically planned to coincide with the region being in darkness, allowing the satellite to traverse over the Indian subcontinent during its initial equatorial crossing on the sunlit side of Earth.
NASA elaborates on the significance of the PACE mission, highlighting its role in enhancing our understanding of the exchange of carbon dioxide between the ocean and atmosphere, as well as its investigation into how aerosols may stimulate phytoplankton growth in the ocean’s surface. Moreover, PACE data will be instrumental in identifying the scope and duration of harmful algal blooms, offering potential benefits to various sectors of the economy and society. Overall, NASA underscores that PACE will extend and broaden the agency’s ongoing observations of Earth, providing valuable insights into our planet’s health for years to come.
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