Category Archives: Spacex

The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft (left) backs away from the space station carrying four Axiom Mission 3 astronauts. The SpaceX Dragon Endurance (right) is pictured docked to the Harmony modules space-facing port. Credit: NASA TV

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft undocked from the space-facing port of the International Space Stations Harmony module at 9:20 a.m. EST over the Pacific Ocean, west of Ecuador, to complete the third all-private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3).

Dragon is slowly maneuvering away from the orbital laboratory into an orbital track that will return the astronaut crew and its cargo safely to Earth, targeting a splashdown off the coast of Daytona, Florida, at approximately 8:30 a.m. EST Friday, Feb. 9.

Ax-3 astronauts Michael Lpez-Alegra, Walter Villadei, Marcus Wandt, and Alper Gezeravci will complete 18 days aboard the orbiting laboratory at the conclusion of their mission. The SpaceX Dragon will return to Earth with more than 550 pounds of science and supplies, including NASA experiments and hardware.

Joint operations with the Axiom and SpaceX mission teams end and NASA coverage of the mission concludes when the spacecraft exits the area of the space station, approximately 30 minutes after undocking.

Axiom Space leads independent mission operations for Ax-3 and will resume coverage of Dragons re-entry and splashdown.

Learn more about station activities by following thespace station blog,@space_stationand@ISS_Researchon X, as well as theISS FacebookandISS Instagramaccounts.

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Ax-3 Astronauts Undock in Dragon from Station for Earth Return - NASA Blogs

There will be some exciting spaceflight action on Valentine's Day, if all goes according to plan.

SpaceX and Houston-based Intuitive Machines are targeting Feb. 14 for the launch of the private IM-1 moon mission, the two companies announced on Monday (Feb. 5).

IM-1 is scheduled to lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Feb. 14 at 12:57 a.m. EST (0557 GMT), sending Intuitive Machines' robotic Nova-C lander "Odysseus" toward Earth's nearest neighbor.

On Feb. 22, Odysseus will try to make history, becoming the first-ever private spacecraft to land softly on the lunar surface.

"As we prepare to embark on our IM-1 mission to the moon, we carry with us the collective spirit of perseverance, fueled by the dedication and hard work of everyone on our team," Intuitive Machines President and CEO Steve Altemus said in a statement.

"Their tireless efforts have brought us to this moment, where we stand on the precipice of history, humbled by the gravity of our mission, yet emboldened by the boundless possibilities that lie ahead," he added.

Related: Moon mining gains momentum as private companies plan for a lunar economy

Feb. 14 is the first day of a three-day launch window; there will also be opportunities on Feb. 15 and Feb. 16, said Julianna Scheiman, SpaceX's director of civil satellite missions. (We already knew about this month's three-day window, but SpaceX and Intuitive Machines had not previously identified the dates.)

The two companies have been making progress toward the fast-approaching liftoff. For example, they encapsulated Odysseus inside its Falcon 9's payload fairing on Jan. 31. Another major milestone will occur tomorrow (Feb. 7) a fueling test of Odysseus on the pad.

"We'll be performing essentially a tanking test, or wet dress rehearsal, for that spacecraft on February 7, and we're tracking well to a February 14 launch," Scheiman said on Monday during a briefing that focused on SpaceX's planned Feb. 7 launch of NASA's PACE Earth-observing spacecraft.

If IM-1 cannot get off the ground during this month's three-day window, the next opportunity will come in March, SpaceX representatives have said.

Odysseus is carrying 12 payloads on IM-1. Six are commercial and six are NASA science instruments, manifested via the agency's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program (CLPS).

CLPS aims to pave the way for a human return to the moon, which NASA's Artemis program is working toward, by using private robotic spacecraft to get science gear to Earth's nearest neighbor.

IM-1 won't be the first CLPS-affiliated effort to get off the ground: Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander launched Jan. 8 on the debut mission of United Launch Alliance's new Vulcan Centaur rocket.

Peregrine suffered a fuel leak shortly after deploying from Vulcan Centaur's upper stage, however, dashing its lunar dreams. The lander's handlers guided Peregrine to a controlled destruction in Earth's atmosphere on Jan. 18.

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SpaceX targeting Feb. 14 for launch of Intuitive Machines IM-1 private moon mission - Space.com

NASA's Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite is set to depart Earth from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday (Feb. 8) at 1:33 a.m. EST (0633 GMT.) It will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Launch had been planned for Tuesday (Feb. 6) and Wednesday (Feb. 7) at the same time, but bad weather forced a delay.

Ahead of the launch, NASA and SpaceX experts gathered to discuss the impact the PACE mission will have on climate science as it monitors the interaction between Earth's oceans and atmosphere.

Related: NASA's PACE satellite will study Earth's tiniest mysteries from space: Watch it launch live Feb. 6

"Understanding how ocean life interacts with the atmosphere and the global climate is one of the secrets of the universe right here at home. Aerosols that cycle through the ocean and atmosphere are a factor in how clouds form and how weather systems behave," NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free said at a press conference on Monday (Feb. 5). "But exactly how that process works is a scientific mystery. Unraveling it is one big goal of the PACE mission in line of course with NASA's charge to explore the unknown in air and space."

Free added that PACE will join the two dozen NASA missions in orbit currently that collect vital data on Earth's land, ocean, atmosphere and ice. The mission's data will be used by scientists and policymakers to safeguard against the threat of global climate change.

Also speaking at the press event, Director of NASA's Earth Science Division Karen St. Germain explained that PACE will use its vantage point to investigate tiny micro-organisms that play a huge role on Earth, microalgae called phytoplankton.

"Our Earth is a water planet. The surface of the Earth is covered 70% by oceans, and yet, in many ways, we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about our own oceans," St. Germain said. "Phytoplankton are at the base of the marine food chain. They serve our fisheries and the health of the oceans. They are also responsible for absorbing a tremendous amount of carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and converting that into oxygen in the atmosphere.

"But they can also be toxic, and we need to know that, too."

St. Germain added that PACE won't just be looking at tiny organisms in the oceans. It will also study tiny particles in the atmosphere called aerosols.

"Aerosols play an enormous role in our weather, our air quality, and even our climate. They come from sources like dust flowing off the Sahara, wildfires, and even human activities, and they seed clouds that can grow into hurricanes coming across the Atlantic," St. Germain said. "But they also reflect a lot of the sun's energy. So, they play an important role in the long-term sustained stability of Earth's climate. Because we're measuring both of these things together, PACE will allow us to understand the strong interactions between the atmosphere and the ocean."

The PACE launch will also be offering something a little bit different for typical NASA Cape Canaveral liftoffs.

"PACE is the eighth NASA LSP mission to launch on a SpaceX rocket, and the first government mission to fly a polar trajectory from the Cape since November of 1960," NASA Launch Services Program (LSP) Director Tim Dunn said. "Now, SpaceX is well seasoned in flying this particular trajectory. They've done it 11 times commercially since 2020."

During the last Cape "polar launch," the blast-off of SOLRAD 2 and Transit 3A atop a Thor-Ablestar rocket on Nov. 30, 1960, a booster flew off course and rained debris over Cuba. After this, NASA's polar launches were moved to the Vandenberg Space Force, previouslyVandenberg Air Force Base.

Plus, the launch of PACE has been a long time coming. The Trump administration proposed canceling PACE in all four of its NASA budget proposals, from fiscal years 2018 through 2021, but Congress kept the mission funded each year.

The Falcon 9 rocket with PACE attached was rolled out to the launch pad and erected at around 4 a.m. EST (0900 GMT) on Monday morning. Final preparations should begin at 10 p.m. EST (0300 GMT) tonight, with propellants set to be loaded at around 12:50 a.m. EST (0450 GMT).

The PACE launch was supposed to happen early Tuesday morning (Feb. 6), but the weather didn't cooperate. There's a 60% chance of good weather for Wednesday's opportunity, according to U.S. Space Force Weather Officer Brian Cizek.

The weather issues aren't dampening spirits at NASA for this important launch, however.

PACE's "launch is not just a mission to space. It's a testament to our collective pursuit of knowledge, innovation, and the betterment of humanity for all Earthlings," Free concluded. "Go Falcon and go PACE."

You can watch the PACE launch live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA, or directlyvia the space agency's website.

Editor's note: This story was updated on Feb. 6 with news of the launch delay to Feb. 8.

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SpaceX rolls out Falcon 9 rocket to launch NASA's ocean-studying PACE satellite on Feb. 8 (photos) - Space.com

A NASA satellite is about to take flight to map out the ocean's many hues.

NASA's PACE spacecraft, which will help scientists gauge the health of oceans around the world, is set to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday (Feb. 8) at 1:33 a.m. EST (0633 GMT). Launch had been scheduled for the same time on Tuesday (Feb. 6) and Wednesday (Feb. 7), but bad weather forced a delay.

You can watch the liftoff live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA, or directly via the space agency. Coverage will begin at 12:45 a.m. EST (0545 GMT).

Related: Earth is getting hotter at a faster rate despite pledges of government action

The Falcon 9 will deliver PACE, whose name is short for Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem, to an orbit 420 miles (677 kilometers) above Earth about 70% higher than the International Space Station flies.

From that perch, PACE will use its three science instruments "to collect data on clouds, aerosols and phytoplankton growth that can determine ocean color," NASA officials wrote in a mission update on Thursday (Feb. 1).

"Measuring the color and amount of light will help scientists better understand the types and locations of microscopic algae, which are vital to the health of Earth's oceans and its marine life," they added. "PACE will contribute to NASAs more than 20 years of global satellite observations of ocean biology and key measurements related to air quality and climate."

The 10.5-foot-long (3.2-meter-long) PACE will do this work for at least three years, if all goes according to plan.

PACE has had a long and somewhat harrowing road to the launch pad. The Trump administration tried to cancel the mission three separate times, in its budget proposals for fiscal years 2018, 2019 and 2020. But Congress allocated the required funds on each occasion, saving PACE from the chopping block.

Back in 2014, NASA capped PACE's total cost (including for its launch vehicle) at $805 million, with a liftoff targeted for 2022. That price tag has gone up, however, to $948 million, according to Florida Today.

PACE's launch is part of a very busy year for SpaceX. The company launched 10 orbital missions in January a single-month record, according to Elon Musk. And that impressive pace could ramp up even more: SpaceX aims to launch 144 missions in 2024, company representatives have said.

Editor's note:This story was updated on Feb. 6 with news of the launch delay to Feb. 8.

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SpaceX to launch NASA's PACE ocean-monitoring satellite this week - Space.com

By Marisa Laudadio 6:00am PST, Feb 9, 2024

3 2 1 blastoff!

NASA's PACE satellite a Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem mission is seen here atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Feb. 7, 2024, hours ahead of its Feb. 8 launch. The nighttime launch was a sight to behold as the clouds filled with light and the sky was illuminated just after 1:30 a.m. local time.

Keep reading to see the best photos from the blastoff and preparations on the launch pad at a Florida Space Force station

MORE:Follow Wonderwall on MSN for more fun celebrity & entertainment photo galleries and content

NASA's PACE spacecraft, which is aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, lifts up from the Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 8, 2024.

According to NASA, Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE)'s data will help us better understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide, while it will also reveal how aerosols might fuel phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean.

MORE: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket cargo arrives at International Space Station: All the best launch pictures

Members of the media work as NASA's PACE spacecraft, which is aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, lifts up from the Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 8, 2024.

According to NASA, Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE)'s data will help us better understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide, while it will also reveal how aerosols might fuel phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean.

MORE:NASA unveils new supersonic aircraft: All the best pictures

NASA's PACE spacecraft, which is aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, lifts up from the Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 8, 2024.

According to NASA, Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE)'s data will help us better understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide, while it will also reveal how aerosols might fuel phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean.

NASA's PACE spacecraft topping a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is docked on the Space Launch Complex 40 launch pad on Feb. 7, 2024, as preparations for takeoff continue at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

According to NASA, Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE)'s data will help to better understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide. In addition, it will reveal how aerosols might fuel phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean.

NASA's PACE spacecraft, which is aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, lifts up from the Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 8, 2024.

According to NASA, Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE)'s data will help us better understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide, while it will also reveal how aerosols might fuel phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean.

NASA's PACE spacecraft sits aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket docked on the Space Launch Complex 40 launch pad on Feb. 6, 2024, as preparations to launch in the middle of the night on Feb. 8 continue at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

According to NASA, Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE)'s data will help us better understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide. In addition, it will reveal how aerosols might fuel phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from launch pad SLC-40 at the Kennedy Space Center on NASA's PACE mission in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Feb. 8, 2024.

Data from the PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) Earth observing science mission will help NASA understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide, measure key atmospheric variables associated with air quality and Earth's climate and monitor ocean health.

PACE data is also expected to benefit the economy and society, especially sectors that rely on water and air quality, fisheries and food security.

NASA's PACE spacecraft topping a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is docked on the Space Launch Complex 40 launch pad on Feb. 5, 2024, as preparations for takeoff continue at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

According to NASA, Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE)'s data will help to better understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide. In addition, it will reveal how aerosols might fuel phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean.

NASA's PACE spacecraft, which is aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, bursts out of the jumbo clouds as it lifts up from the Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 8, 2024.

According to NASA, Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE)'s data will help us better understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide, while it will also reveal how aerosols might fuel phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying NASA's Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) spacecraft stands at pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Feb. 5, 2024.

The spacecraft is equipped with instruments to assess the health of the oceans by measuring the distribution of phytoplankton, tiny plants and algae that sustain the marine food web.

NASA's PACE spacecraft, which is aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, lifts up from the Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 8, 2024.

According to NASA, Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE)'s data will help us better understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide, while it will also reveal how aerosols might fuel phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean.

NASA's PACE spacecraft, which is aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, lifts up from the Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 8, 2024.

According to NASA, Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE)'s data will help us better understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide, while it will also reveal how aerosols might fuel phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean.

NASA's PACE spacecraft, which is aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, lifts up from the Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 8, 2024.

According to NASA, Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE)'s data will help us better understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide, while it will also reveal how aerosols might fuel phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean.

NASA's PACE spacecraft topping a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is docked on the Space Launch Complex 40 launch pad on Feb. 7, 2024, as preparations for takeoff continue at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

According to NASA, Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE)'s data will help to better understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide. In addition, it will reveal how aerosols might fuel phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean.

Check out this view of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket being launched after a two-day delay due to bad weather, carrying NASA's Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) spacecraft.

It lifted off from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 1:33 a.m. on Feb. 8, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The spacecraft is equipped with instruments to assess the health of the oceans by measuring the distribution of phytoplankton, tiny plants and algae that sustain the marine food web.

NASA's PACE spacecraft topping a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is docked on the Space Launch Complex 40 on Feb. 5, 2024, as preparations for takeoff continue at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

According to NASA, Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE)'s data will help to better understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide. In addition, it will reveal how aerosols might fuel phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean.

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SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying NASA's new PACE mission: The best pictures from the launch - Wonderwall

A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule returned to Earth on Friday, wrapping up the private Axiom-3 astronaut mission that was launched nearly three weeks ago from the Kennedy Space Center.

On Wednesday, February 7, at 9:20 a.m. EST (1420 GMT), Crew Dragon spacecraft Freedom undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) over the Pacific Ocean, bringing an end to Ax-3's tenure in orbit. It then flew freely in orbit for two days before breaking through the atmosphere on Friday and making its way back to Earth over the Atlantic Ocean.

It made a successful splashdown touchdown off the coast of Daytona Beach around 8.30 am on February 9, an official statement said.

Freedom was originally scheduled to undock from the ISS on Saturday, February 3, but inclement weather in the splashdown zone caused it to be postponed by four days.

Chartered by Houston-based company Axiom Space, A-3 mission was launched on January 18 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, and it reached the International Space Station (ISS) early on January 20.

Also Read: NASA turns iconic picture taken by Hubble Telescope into an interesting puzzle. Can you solve it?

The crew members include pilot Walter Villadei, a colonel in the Italian Air Force; mission specialist Alper Gezeravc, the first Turkish citizen to reach space, and mission specialist Marcus Wandt, an European Space Agency (ESA) reserve astronaut. Commander Michael Lpez-Alegra is the chief astronaut of Axiom Space and a former NASA spaceflyer.

"We've had an amazing, hectic, and enjoyable two weeks up here," Lopez-Alegra remarked at a farewell ceremony prior to the crew's undocking, Space.com reported.

I am very proud of my Ax-3 crewmates, who helped their agencies achieve all of their science objectives, technology demonstrations, as well as the outreach events.

During their stay on the ISS, the astronauts conducted over thirty scientific experiments, encompassing research in the fields of physics and space medicine.

"Data collected on ground before and after the mission as well as in flight will impact understanding of human physiology on Earth and on orbit, as well as advance scientific understanding, harness opportunities for industrial advancements, and develop technologies for humanity's progress," Axiom Space said in a mission description.

Also Read: NASA shares iconic throwback pic of astronaut who performed first untethered spacewalk 40 years ago

Astronaut Andreas Mogensen of the ESA, who is now leading the ISS' Expedition 70 mission, stated, It's been a real pleasure and honor to have you onboard the International Space Station. You guys have been great crewmates.

Being the only person to have flown aboard Dragon to orbit twice, it was the sixth spaceflight for Lpez-Alegra. Earlier, he was the part of Ax-1 mission, which flew to the ISS in April 2022.

While Villadei did make it to suborbital space with Virgin Galactic in June 2023, the other three Ax-3 astronauts had never flown in orbit before.

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SpaceX Dragon carrying Axiom-3 astronauts returns to Earth with splashdown near Daytona Beach| Watch - Hindustan Times

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with NASAs PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft stands vertical at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. PACE is NASAs newest earth-observing satellite that will help increase our understanding of Earths oceans, atmosphere, and climate by delivering hyperspectral observations of microscopic marine organisms called phytoplankton as well new data on clouds and aerosols. Photo credit: SpaceX

NASA and SpaceX are standing down from the Wednesday, Feb. 7, launch of the agencys Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission due to ground winds preventing prelaunch checkouts. The team is targeting liftoff at 1:33 a.m. EST Thursday, Feb. 8, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The satellite and rocket remain healthy and ready for launch.

Live launch coverage will begin on NASA+ and NASA TV public channel at 12:45 a.m. EST on Feb. 8.

Continue checking the PACE blog for additional mission updates, or join the conversation on social media by following these accounts:

X:@NASA,@NASA_LSP,@NASAKennedy,@NASAGoddard Facebook:NASA,NASAs Launch Services Program,NASAs Kennedy Space Center,NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center Instagram:@NASA,@NASAKennedy,@NASAGoddard

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Weather Delays Launch of NASAs PACE Mission PACE Mission - NASA Blogs

Delayed two days because of weather, a NASA satellite that will look at the tiniest parts of the air and ocean is set for an early Thursday morning launch from theSpace Coastthat could shake households inCentral Floridawhen the rockets booster creates a sonic boom during its recovery landing.

Years in the works, the Plankton, Aerosol Cloud Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite that was on the chopping block of the Trump administrations annual proposed NASA budgets several times as he sought to steer funds away from some climate-focused missions and shift money to deep-space efforts.

Now the nearly $1 billion PACE satellite sits atop a Falcon 9 rocket ready for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force StationsSpace Launch Complex40, delayed from planned early Tuesday and Wednesday attempts because of high winds, and now targeting a1:33 a.m.liftoff Thursday.

The early morning launch could also bring a loud surprise in the form of sonic booms to theSpace Coastand surrounding counties as the booster for the flight makes a return to CanaveralsLanding Zone 1instead of downrange in theAtlantic.SpaceXwarns residents ofBrevard,Orange,Osceola,Indian River,Seminole,Volusia,Polk,St. Lucie, andOkeechobeecounties may hear one or more sonic booms depending on weather and other conditions.

Space Launch Delta45s weather squadron expects a 95% chance for good conditions for the Thursday attempt.

If it launches, it will be the eighth liftoff from theSpace Coastin 2024 during a year thatcould see as many as 111 launches.

The mission, which is being run out of NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center, has been in the works for nine years, although originally conceived more than 20 years ago, saidJeremy Werdell, NASAs PACE project scientist.

What were doing here with PACE is really the search for the microscopic, mostly invisible universe in the sea and the sky in some degrees of land, he said.

Its three instruments on board look at the interactions of sunlight with clouds, a whole catalog of aerosol particulates in the air and phytoplankton, which form the base of the ocean food chain, in the sea.

Its as simple as that. We collect photons from the sun, just collect them, collect them, collect them, he said.

Werdell, whose main focus is on the oceans, andAndy Sayer, a PACE atmospheric scientist, outlined why a space-based view of this information would be beneficial.

Werdell notes there is both beneficial types of phytoplankton, such as those that help fisheries, or those that help absorb carbon dioxide, and harmful types as well, such as those related to red tide or blue-green algae that can cause fish kills and pollute the air.

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For the first time on global scale well know where the harmful ones are, where the beneficial ones are, where the beneficial ones are moving to as the oceans are starting to change.

Sayers focus on clouds and aerosols will have a wide-ranging use, he says.

We have a pretty good handle from satellites on what is the total amount of aerosol, but we dont have such a good handle on how it splits down into all these different species, he said.

That ranges from industry-bred carbon emissions to sulfates to sea spray. Sayer said knowing where the various types are located can help inform public policy on air quality and human health, for instance. It can also potentially feed information on where beneficial particulate matter might prompt better agriculture or fishing.

As far as their role into how aerosols feed into cloud formation, some of that data can help feed theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That included tracking dust off the Sahara Desert.

The interactions between the kind of dust heating in the atmosphere are thought to be able to help control cloud formation and how these storms move and how they grow, he said. So the better we can get a handle on that, maybe the better we can predict these kinds of severe ends happening further and get better forecasts.

NASAs director of its Earth Science Division,Karen St. Germain, said theNOAAis a principal partner in the mission, and the data is expected could help predict hurricane intensification and track.

They are an early adopter, for many reasons, ranging from weather prediction to long-range climate to the harmful algal blooms and the things that affect fisheries, she said.

The PACE satellite builds on parts of existing observations, but most are hyperlocal, ground-based sensing, and space gives a macro view of these microscopic phenomenon, Werdell said.

We are studying the combined Earth system, Werdell said. It is not an ocean mission. Its not an atmosphere mission. Its not a land mission. Its an all-of-those-things mission. And that is so incredibly important because you cant understand one without understanding the other.

He said the science to be determined from the mission, though, is partly unknown, but thats a good thing,

The scientific community with PACE has something they can grow into, and that hasnt happened in a really long time, he said. This is a mission that we dont know what were going to learn about. And that is so deeply exciting.

The PACE mission, which has a planned 10-year lifespan once on orbit, was one of the first targeted by Trump beginning with the 2018 fiscal year budget, butCongressrestored funding to the mission with the final budget allocations. It is now set to join more than two dozen Earth science satellites currently orbiting the planet.

It has been a long strange trip as they say, an emotional Werdell said Sunday during a preflight press conference in response to the missions several near cancellations.

We were as confident as one can be that we would find ways to persevere. The community wanted all of this, he said. Not going to dive into policy or politics, but its been a really remarkable journey and the support from the community, the support from the agency, the support from people like yourselves asking questions getting involved, weve kept our morale high.

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Sonic boom could hit Florida with SpaceX launch of NASA Earth science probe - Tampa Bay Times

Following a pair of 24-hour postponements, due to unfavorable weather conditions on the Space Coast and higher-than-allowable ground winds preventing critical pre-launch checkouts, NASAs $805 million Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission is officially underway, having taken flight at 1:33:36 a.m. EST Thursday atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster from storied Space Launch Complex (SLC)-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla. The spacecraft and its three scientific instrumentsa first-of-its-kind optical spectrometer and a pair of multi-angle polarimetershave been a decade in the making and will spend up to a decade in low-Earth orbit performing critical measurements of our planets atmosphere and oceans on a global scale.

Congratulations to the PACE team on a successful launch, said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. With this new addition to NASAs fleet of Earth-observing satellites, PACE will help us learn, like never before, how particles in our atmosphere and our oceans can identify key factors impacting global warming. Missions like this are supporting the Biden-Harris Administrations climate agenda and helping us answer urgent questions about our changing climate.

Launching PACE was the four-times-flown B1081 booster core, which entered service last August to deliver Dragon Endurance and her Crew-7 quartet of NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, Denmarks Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency (ESA), Satoshi Furukawa of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Russian cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov to the International Space Station (ISS), where they currently reside. Two additional launches of B1081 last November and December delivered SpaceXs CRS-29 Cargo Dragon for a month-long research stay at the space station and a 23-strong batch of Starlink low-orbiting internet communications satellites.

Liftoff of PACE was originally scheduled for 1:33 a.m. EST Tuesday, but with weather hovering no higher than 50-50 favorability, NASA and SpaceX teams opted late Monday to call off the first launch attempt and refocus on Wednesday instead. SpaceX also tweeted on X that high winds at the Capes Landing Zone (LZ)-1, where B1081 was set to make a solid-ground touchdown, were also unfavorable.

This grim picture made it not unreasonable for teams to stand down well in advance of Tuesdays launch attempt and refocus on Wednesdays pre-dawn hours when the Probability of Go (PGo) was predicted to improve to 95 percent. Only a very low risk of a Cumulus Cloud Rule violation stood in PACEs way for Wednesday.

But yesterday also proved not to be a good day, as the long-awaited launch was again called off due to higher-than-allowable ground winds that precluded several critical pre-flight checkouts of the vehicle. Although PACEs prime T-0 point, which has sat at 1:33 a.m. EST each day this week, is not strictly instantaneous, it only offered a roughly 90-second period of time, with SpaceX and NASA teams aiming for the middle of the launch window in order to leave the second half available to accommodate potential Collision Avoidance (COLA) considerations.

By Thursday, however, the weather had begun to turn a corner and the high winds began to subside. Winds will decrease and veer from the north to the northeast, noted the 45th Weather Squadron in an update yesterday afternoon. While a few low-topped coastal showers cant be ruled out in the evening/overnight hours, dry mid-level air will cap off any significant vertical development.

High pressure will remain in control and similar conditions will persist through the remainder of the week, the 45th concluded. For both the primary launch window early Thursday morning and backup window early Friday morning, weather looks very favorable with the only concern being the very low risk of a Cumulus Cloud Rule violation.

Originally tracking a liftoff at 1:33:32 a.m. EST, the T-0 point slipped slightly by four seconds in response to an anticipated COLA conjunction. As the clock passed T-1 minute and the Falcon 9 flight computers transitioned to Startup, the excitement began to build as a mission that had been a decade in the making approached fruition.

Many on the PACE Spacecraft Team now going outside to watch this launch, reported NASA commentator Derrol Nail at T-45 seconds. It should be a beauty.

His words could not have been better chosen and B1081 roared aloft perfectly, kicking ofF SpaceXs inaugural mission of February. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 and PACE, exulted Mr. Nail. Helping keep pace with our ever-changing atmosphere and ocean.

B1081 powered the 230-foot-tall (70-meter) stack uphill for opening 2.5 minutes of ascent, before separating and executing a picture-perfect descent to alight on solid ground at the Capes Landing Zone (LZ)-1 at T+7 minutes and 30 seconds. Meanwhile, the single Merlin 1D+ Vacuum engine of the Falcon 9s second stage burned longer than normal on this missionigniting at T+2 minutes and 30 seconds and running for almost eight full minutesin what Mr. Nail described as a direct-inject to get PACE into its 420-mile-high (675-kilometer) polar orbit at 98 degrees of inclination.

Spacecraft separation occurred at 12 minutes and 22 seconds into the flight.

Weighing 3,750 pounds (1,700 kilograms), PACE is managed by NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Md. It will provide global views of microscopic algae concentrations, known as phytoplankton, which occupy the sunlit upper part of the oceans and produce at least half of Earths oxygen and forming the base of the marine food chain.

Quantifying phytoplankton levels, NASA noted, carries important implications for expanding human knowledge of the carbon cycle and tracking climatic variability and change over time. Knowing more about global phytoplankton community composition will help us understand how living marine resources respond to a changing climate, said Project Scientist Jeremy Werdell of GSFC. With PACE, we will learn more about the role of marine phytoplankton in the global carbon cycle.

In June 2016, PACE transitioned out of its preliminary design phase at Key Decision Point-A (KDP-A) and the following September NASA opted to build the spacecraft in-house. This decision enabled instrument designs and capabilities to mature as the mission developed, as well as affording improved flexibility to meet budgetary and schedule challenges and in recognition of the fact that all the requisite engineering facilities and core competencies were readily available at GSFC.

Passing Key Decision Point-B (KDP-B) in August 2017, the pace of PACE accelerated as the design of the spacecraft and its primary instrument, the GSFC-furnished Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) got underway. Described as a first-of-its-kind optical spectrometer in terms of capability, OCI will take hyperspectral measurements of the oceans, covering a broader swath of the electromagnetic spectrum than any of its predecessor missions.

Were going to look at everything in the range from ultraviolet all the way out to shortwave infrared, said PACE Project Manager Andr Dress of GSFC. Other missions have only taken slices, and while that gives you good data, it doesnt give you all of the information about different types of phytoplankton life in the ocean.

Also sharing payload space aboard PACE are a pair of multi-angle polarimeters: the Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter-2 (HARP-2)a follow-on from HARP, an initial hyper-angular rainbow polarimeter deployed from the ISS as a CubeSat in February 2020and the Spectropolarimeter for Planetary Exploration (SPEXone). Developed by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (HARP-2) and the Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON) and Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands (SPEXone), these instruments will accurately characterize aerosol properties and particulate sizes and compositions with unprecedented levels of accuracy and detail.

Together, the data output from OCI, HARP-2 and SPEXone will enable better quantification of phytoplankton and aerosol-particle effects upon marine biology, ocean chemistry and the home planets energy budget and ecological forecasting. PACE will permit scientists to better monitor fisheries, identify harmful algal blooms and observe changes over time in marine resources.

Observations and scientific research from PACE will profoundly advance our knowledge of the oceans role in the climate cycle, said Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division within the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. As an open-source science mission with early adopters ready to use its research and data, PACE will accelerate our understanding of the Earth system and help NASA deliver actionable science, data, and practical applications to help our coastal communities and industries address rapidly evolving challenges.

Its been an honor to work with the PACE team and witness firsthand their dedication and tenacity in overcoming challenges, including the global pandemic, to make this observatory a reality, said Marjorie Haskell, PACE program executive at NASA Headquarters. The passion and teamwork are matched only by the excitement of the science community for the data this new satellite will provide.

Attention now turns to Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., where another Falcon 9 is gearing up for launch with a 22-strong batch of Starlink internet communications satellites later on Thursday. Postponed yesterday due to poor weather on the West Coast, the veteran B1071 booster is now targeted to rise from Space Launch Complex (SLC)-4E during a raft of T-0 points extending from 4:56 p.m. PST through 8:54 p.m. PST.

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SpaceX Launches Ambitious PACE Mission to Monitor Global Ocean, Atmospheric Health - AmericaSpace

UPDATE 3: SpaceX is now targeting Thursday, February 8 for a Falcon 9 launch of 22 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Liftoff is targeted for 4:56 p.m. PT, with backup opportunities available until 8:54 p.m. PT. This new date is after the scheduled Falcon 9 mission on Tuesday was bumped to Wednesday. Both delays are due to unfavorable weather conditions, according to officials.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about five minutes prior to liftoff. Watch live.

This is the 14th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, and seven Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

UPDATE 2: Its a stand down at final minute as SpaceX scrubs Starlink smallsats launch

UPDATE 2: SpaceX is targeting Wednesday, February 7 for a Falcon 9 launch of 22 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Liftoff is targeted for 5:17 p.m. PT, with backup opportunities available until 8:54 p.m. PT.

Tuesday the launch teams for the Starlink 7-13 mission got down to the final minute of the countdown before calling a scrub with poor weather conditions.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about five minutes prior to liftoff. Watch live.

This is the 14th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, and seven Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

SpaceX schedules Tuesday for Starlink smallsats launch

SpaceX is targeting Tuesday, February 6 for a Falcon 9 launch of 22 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Liftoff is targeted for 9:01 p.m. PT, with backup opportunities available until 9:38 p.m. PT. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Wednesday, February 7 starting at 5:17 p.m. PT.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about five minutes prior to liftoff. Watch live.

This is the 14th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, and seven Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

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UPDATE 3: Another bump in time as SpaceX delays launch of 22 Starlink smallsats SatNews - SatNews