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Source– This post on PACE satellite-NASA’s satellite to monitor Climate, Ocean & Atmosphere has been created based on the article “SpaceX launches NASA’s PACE satellite to monitor ocean, atmosphere, climate” published in “The Indian Express“.
Why in the news?
Nasa’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
About PACE satellite
| Aspect | Details |
| Launched by | NASA from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space launch complex. |
| Placed at | PACE is placed in a sun-synchronous orbit. Sun-synchronous orbit means that it will always be synced to the same position relative to the Sun. |
| Objective | To study the interplay of light, aerosols, and clouds. |
| Primary instrument | Ocean Colour Instrument (OCI)– This is designed to measure the ocean’s colour across a spectrum from ultraviolet to short wave infrared. |
| Payloads | 1) Spectro-polarimeter for Planetary Exploration (SPEXone) 2) Hyper Angular Research Polarimeter (HARP2). |
| Significance | 1) It will help scientists better understand about the impact of climate change on ocean phytoplankton. 2) It will help understand the influence of particles in the air, like dust and smoke, on cloud formation, warming and cooling of the planet. 3) It may make significant breakthroughs in aerosol-cloud-ocean research. |
UPSC Syllabus-Science & technology.
