NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and ocean Ecosystem (PACE) observatory spacecraft has been carefully transported from the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland to the Astrotech Spacecraft Operations facility near the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Upon arrival at the facility on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, technicians monitored the spacecraft’s movement as it was hoisted by a crane. The team ensured that all equipment was properly offloaded and processed before fueling and final encapsulation.

PACE is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in early 2024 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The mission aims to provide insight into how carbon dioxide is exchanged between the ocean and atmosphere, improve upon NASA’s long-standing global satellite observations of ocean biology and atmospheric aerosols, and continue critical measurements related to air quality and climate.

The PACE project is led by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center with the agency’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center managing launch services for the mission. To ensure its credibility and accuracy, Science X editors have thoroughly fact-checked all information provided while sourcing trusted experts for additional insights.