NASA climate satellite blasts off to survey oceans and atmosphere of a warming Earth

By MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s newest climate satellite has blasted off to survey the world’s oceans and atmosphere in unprecedented detail. SpaceX launched the Pace satellite before dawn Thursday. The Falcon rocket headed south over the Atlantic from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to achieve a rare polar orbit. Pace will spend at least three years studying the oceans from 420 miles up, as well as the atmosphere. Scientists say the satellite will scan the entire globe daily to better understand the ocean’s response to how the planet is changing. Scientists expect to start getting data in a month or two.