Billion-dollar NASA satellite launches to gather data on earth, climate change

In a successful liftoff early Thursday, SpaceX launched NASA's nearly $1 billion PACE satellite to monitor the health of the planet, from its oceans to its atmosphere, offering crucial data for understanding and combating climate change, according to the US space agency.

Though the mission faced multiple cancelation threats, PACE's liftoff was secured by soaring on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

PACE is now on its way to a precise orbit where it will begin its observations above the International Space Station.

It will collect data on aerosols and clouds, scanning Earth every two days to analyze their chemical composition, movement, and interactions.

NASA's PACE mission aims to explore Earth's environment by studying ocean health, atmospheric conditions, and ecosystems.

It will monitor plankton, aerosols, clouds, and oceanic conditions to better understand their interactions and influence on the planet's climate and overall health.

Scientists anticipate that PACE data will provide crucial insights into the effects of aerosols on cloud formation and differentiate between various cloud types. Understanding these factors is vital for interpreting climate changes and air quality shifts, said NASA.

In addition, data from PACE's polarimeters will enhance climate models by providing more accurate atmospheric information, replacing current estimates with direct measurements.

The new polarimetry data will also provide real-time insights into air pollution.