Google has joined a satellite mission aimed at scanning the globe for methane leaks, a potent greenhouse gas. The initiative, led by the Environmental Defense Fund, aims to provide more accurate and timely data on methane emissions to help combat climate change. Google's participation will involve providing expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze the data collected by the satellites.
NASA successfully launched the Plankton, Aerosol, Climate, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite to study ocean health, air quality, and the effects of climate change. PACE will use advanced instruments to track microscopic life in water and particles in the air, providing valuable data for understanding global warming and its impact on the environment. The mission aims to advance knowledge of the ocean's role in the climate cycle and address urgent questions about our changing climate, supporting the Biden-Harris Administration's climate agenda.
Rocket Lab's Electron launch vehicle successfully deployed four Space Situational Awareness (SSA) satellites into low-Earth orbit, marking the first booster recovery since August 2023. The mission, named "Four of a Kind," delivered four LEMUR cubesats for Spire Global Inc., aiming to provide space-based weather monitoring and tracking for maritime and aviation activity. NorthStar Earth and Space plans to build a constellation of LEMUR spacecraft for monitoring near-Earth objects and space-based activity. Rocket Lab's 2024 started with the successful launch and recovery of the Electron's first stage, as it works towards its goal of first-stage reuse.
York Space Systems successfully established contact within three hours of launching its commercial space-as-a-service mission, called Bane, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare flight. The mission, which included an optical communications demonstration and a resilient position, navigation, and timing payload provided by CACI International, expands York's commercial business and flight qualifies new technologies for future commercial constellations. This was the first York mission to serve multiple commercial customers on a single platform and the first satellite to be flown from York's unclassified commercial mission operations center in Denver. York has been attracting government and commercial customers with its streamlined contracting and recently completed a production facility to increase its satellite capacity.
SpaceX is planning to launch its Falcon 9 rocket on a Starlink satellite mission, targeting a late-night launch window on Monday. The mission, known as Starlink 6-30, is expected to expand SpaceX's high-speed internet satellite constellation. This launch will mark the 66th orbital launch of the year from the Space Coast. SpaceX has already deployed over 5,000 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit since 2019.
