Dive in to the first images of our newest Earth-observing satellite, PACE!⁣ ⁣ The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite launched on Feb. 8, 2024, and its first data are now available.⁣ ⁣ These images show a phytoplankton bloom off the coast of South Africa on Feb. 28, 2024. Phytoplankton are tiny marine critters that form the foundation of the aquatic food web, and impact ocean health and the climate.⁣ ⁣ The satellite detects light across a spectrum of ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light. While previous ocean color satellites could only detect a handful of wavelengths, PACE is detecting more than 200 wavelengths, which gives scientists new information to differentiate communities of phytoplankton.⁣ ⁣ PACE is also the first satellite in our fleet to be able to pick out these different communities from space! With PACE data, scientists can study microscopic life in the ocean, and particles in the air, allowing us to monitor ocean health, air pollution, ...