NASA made public scientific data from the PACE satellite on the state of the world’s oceans and air quality

NASA has made public scientific data from its newest satellite to study the state of the world’s oceans, air quality, and the effects of climate change. This is stated in the report of the agency.

This is a satellite that was launched into orbit in February this year as part of the PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem) mission. A Falcon 9 rocket was used for this purpose. According to SpaceX, the cost of the PACE mission is estimated at $1 billion.

For several weeks after the launch, the spacecraft and instruments were tested in orbit to ensure proper functioning and data quality. The mission is collecting data, which is now available to the public on the website.

“First light from the PACE mission is a major milestone in our ongoing efforts to better understand our changing planet. Earth is a water planet, and yet we know more about the surface of the moon than we do our own oceans,” noted in NASA.

As you know, while studying the state of the world’s oceans, PACE will monitor the dynamics of the ocean phytoplankton population. This can be useful for fisheries and will allow us to track harmful algal blooms and detect changes in the marine environment.

In addition, the observations will allow scientists to assess air quality at the local, regional and global levels.