Despite ongoing efforts, global warming and climate change pose escalating threats, with Earth’s temperature recently surging by 2°C. To enhance our understanding and devise more effective solutions, NASA has taken a significant step. Launched on February 8, 2024, the PACE satellite is equipped with specialized instruments designed to analyze the impact of global warming from outer space. Researchers aim to gather crucial data to develop more potent climate solutions.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, courtesy of Elon Musk, launched NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite, emphasizing its role in assessing the planet’s health amid climate change. PACE’s capabilities include monitoring microscopic life and airborne particles, with its hyperspectral ocean color instrument providing insights into oceans and water bodies across various light spectrums.
The satellite’s two polarimeter instruments, Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter #2 and Spectro-polarimeter for Planetary Exploration, aim to detect sunlight’s impact on atmospheric particles, offering valuable information on aerosols, cloud properties, and air quality. By comprehending the interaction between the ocean and the atmosphere, NASA intends to deepen its understanding of how climate change affects these crucial components.
Karen St. Germain, the director of NASA’s Earth Science Division, expressed optimism about PACE’s contributions to advancing knowledge of the ocean’s role in the climate cycle. The mission is considered an open-source science initiative, poised to accelerate our understanding of the Earth system and provide practical applications for coastal communities and industries facing evolving challenges.
While global efforts and lifestyle changes, such as using paper straws, have been implemented to combat climate change, their effectiveness remains questionable. In response, researchers from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology proposed an audacious plan named Cool Earth. This initiative involves deploying a “shade” or “sail” nine million miles from Earth, capable of moving through space by manipulating its shading layer.
Project leader Yoram Rozen emphasized that their goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of such a concept rather than single-handedly saving the planet. The Cool Earth initiative envisions a “giant umbrella” approximately the size of Argentina, although the material remains undisclosed. To overcome the challenges of launching such a structure into space, the team proposes sending smaller shades working collaboratively, utilizing a flexible design to reach the first Lagrange point (L1) and maintain their position without complex propulsion systems.
