SpaceX launch set for NASA science probe once targeted by Trump

A NASA satellite that will look at the tiniest parts of the air and ocean is set for an overnight launch from the Space Coast after a years-long path to the launch pad that staved off repeated attempts by the Trump administration to cancel the mission.

The Plankton, Aerosol Cloud Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite was on the chopping block of Trump’s annual proposed NASA budgets several times as he sought to steer funds away from some climate-focused missions and shift money to deep-space efforts.