LOS ANGELES, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- NASA will launch a new Earth observing mission to study oceans and clouds, the agency said on Wednesday.
The mission, named PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud ocean Ecosystem), will launch to orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida no earlier than Feb. 6.
The PACE mission will continue and improve NASA's 20-year record of satellite observations of global ocean biology, aerosols, and clouds, said the agency.
Data from the mission will help NASA understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide, measure key atmospheric variables associated with air quality and Earth's climate, and monitor ocean health, in part by studying phytoplankton, tiny plants and algae that sustain the marine food web, according to NASA. ■