NASA’s PACE Earth-Observing Spacecraft: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Encapsulation

NASA’s PACE Earth-Observing Spacecraft: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Encapsulation

PACE spacecraft encapsulation into Space Falcon 9 payload fairing

PACE spacecraft processing

PACE Observatory Mechanical Team

PACE spacecraft uncrating

PACE Program Science - Earth Data Management

NASA and SpaceX technicians safely encapsulated NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft in SpaceX’s Falcon 9 payload fairings on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2024, at the Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The fairing halves protect the spacecraft from aerodynamic pressure and heating during the ascent phase of launch. PACE is set to launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral in Florida no earlier than 1:33 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024.

PACE is NASA’s newest earth-observing satellite that will help increase our understanding of Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and climate by delivering hyperspectral observations of microscopic marine organisms called phytoplankton as well new data on clouds and aerosols.

Learn more about NASA's PACE Earth Mission: 

https://pace.gsfc.nasa.gov

Image Credits: NASA/Ben Smegelsky/Katie Mellos/Denny Henry/GSFC

Image Dates: Nov. 15, 2023- Jan. 31, 2024

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