NASA climate satellite blasts off to survey oceans and atmosphere of a warming Earth
NASA’s newest climate satellite rocketed into orbit Thursday to survey the world’s oceans and atmosphere in never-before-seen detail.
NASA’s newest climate satellite rocketed into orbit Thursday to survey the world’s oceans and atmosphere in never-before-seen detail.
SpaceX launched the Pace satellite on its $948 million mission before dawn, with the Falcon rocket heading south over the Atlantic to achieve a rare polar orbit.
The satellite will spend at least three years studying the oceans from 420 miles (676 kilometers) up, as well as the atmosphere. It will scan the globe daily with two of the science instruments. A third instrument will take monthly measurements.
The Pace (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem) satellite detaches from a SpaceX rocket in orbit on Thursday.NASA via AP“It’s going to be an unprecedented view of our home planet,” said project scientist Jeremy Werdell.
The observations will help scientists improve hurricane and other severe weather forecasts, detail Earth’s changes as temperatures rise and better predict when harmful algae blooms will happen.
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