The PACE spacecraft completed a vital month-long thermal test at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, paving the way for its scheduled January 2024 launch. Consider it the “mother of all tests.” This summer, the PACE spacecraft (short for Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) completed a c
NASA’s PACE spacecraft in orbit over Earth. Credit: NASA GSFC’s Goddard Space Flight Center, paving the way for its scheduled January 2024 launch.This summer, the PACE spacecraft completed a critical phase of its launch journey: the thermal vacuum test , where it was subjected to extreme temperatures and pressures in a specialized chamber at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
“This proves the PACE observatory can withstand the rigorous thermal environment once it is launched and inserted into its operational environment,” said Mark Voyton, the mission project manager. “Completing the TVAC test is extremely significant, as it represents the last environmental test in our six-month environmental test campaign.”
Getting to this final test was a challenge for team members given the time and resources TVAC can take. Before the door for testing was closed, each team that had worked on PACE verified their part of the observatory was in working order, said Daniel Powers, PACE’s thermal product development lead. Members of the control room were also standing by to ensure that when the power for thermal testing went on, things worked properly.
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