PACE Mission validation with the PACE-PAX field campaign

NASA's Plankton, Aerosol, Clouds, and Ocean Ecosystems (PACE) Mission, launched a year ago, provides data on ocean color, aerosols, clouds, and land surfaces through its three advanced sensors. Some of these data products rely on established "heritage" algorithms, ensuring continuity with previous and ongoing missions, while others are novel, leveraging recent algorithmic advancements and PACE's unique measurement capabilities. To validate PACE's data products, the PACE Postlaunch Airborne eXperiment (PACE-PAX) was conducted in September 2024 in California. This campaign featured coordinated operations involving multiple aircraft, ocean vessels, and surface-based instruments, particularly timed with PACE satellite overpasses. Additionally, PACE-PAX supported similar activities for ESA's EarthCARE (Cloud, Aerosol, and Radiation Explorer) Mission. This presentation highlights the campaign's achievements, discusses the current status of the data, and outlines future plans for utilizing this valuable dataset.