36036 - SMOS

SMOS, ESA's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite, was launched on a Rokot rocket with a Breeze KM upper stage from Plesetsk on 02 November 2009 at 01:50 UT. The primary instrument for the 658 kg satellite is the L-band MIRAS (Microwave Imaging Radiometer using Aperture Synthesis) radiometer composed of a 69 element Y-shaped antenna array. The satellite will monitor sea surface salinity and soil moisture on a global scale. SMOS data will be used to build maps of salinity and moisture levels and contribute to global circulation models.

Alternate Names

Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 2009-11-02
Launch Vehicle: Rokot
Launch Site: Plesetsk, Russia