Jumbo Content

Ocean Sciences Meeting Town Hall - PACE: NASA’s Next Generation Aerosol, Cloud and Ocean Color Satellite Mission

February 14, 2018
Portland, OR USA
The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission will continue NASA's multi-decadal record of satellite ocean color, clouds and aerosol particle observations. PACE's primary instrument will be a global spectrometer (hyperspectral from 350 to 900 nm, plus discrete SWIR bands from 940 to 2260 nm). This quantum leap in technology will enable improved scientific understanding of aquatic ecosystems and biogeochemistry, as well as provide new information on phytoplankton community composition and improved detection of harmful algal blooms. PACE's spectrometer will also continue many aerosol and cloud capabilities from MODIS and VIIRS, which in combination with its ocean measurements, will enable assessment of aerosol impacts on ocean biology and chemistry. The PACE payload may also include a multi-angle polarimeter to significantly improve hydrosol characterizations and ocean color atmospheric correction. PACE is planned to launch in 2022. At this Town Hall, PACE Project and Program members will share the mission's status, planned updates, and future efforts. AGU