In the News
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KSL.com Tuesday, Apr. 21, 2020
USU Space Dynamics Lab delivers test unit to NASA for 2022 launch
The Utah State University Space Dynamics Lab in North Logan has delivered to NASA an engineering test unit for a major subsystem of its PACE spacecraft scheduled for launch in 2022. Data from the PACE satellite, short for Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem, will help scientists better understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide. It will also help identify the extent and duration of harmful algal blooms. According to the Centers for Disease Control, harmful algal blooms can produce toxins that can make people and animals sick and affect the environment. The science satellite is scheduled to be lofted into orbit by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in December 2022. ... Alan Thurgood, the Space Dynamics Lab’s director for civil and commercial space, said in a press release that the lab and NASA “have a long, successful history working together to solve some of science’s most interesting and pressing questions.” “We are grateful to NASA for these opportunities to support its mission to drive advances in science, technology, aeronautics, and space exploration to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, economic vitality and stewardship of Earth,” he added.