CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s newest climate satellite rocketed into orbit Thursday to survey the world’s oceans and atmosphere in never-before-seen detail.
SpaceX launched the Pace satellite on its $948 million mission before dawn, with the Falcon rocket heading south over the Atlantic to achieve a rare polar orbit.
The satellite will spend at least three years studying the oceans from 420 miles (676 kilometers) up, as well as the atmosphere. It will scan the globe daily with two of the science instruments. A third instrument will take monthly measurements.
“It’s going to be an unprecedented view of our home planet,” said project scientist Jeremy Werdell.