On Monday morning, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched two of its satellites: the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) probe and Proba-2, into space. While the former will help forecast water content in soil, ocean salinity, weather and Earth’s carbon cycle, the latter seeks to explore solar cycles and space weather.
The first satellite, launched via a Russian rocket launcher from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia, will help meteorologists to predict near-real-time weather conditions. Further, the scientists will collect the data via MIRAS, the large Microwave Imaging Radiometer with Aperture Synthesis. Though the estimated bated breath of the SMOS mission is three years, it could be extended by two years.
The latter, while extracting data on space weather, will also test a new type of lithium-ion battery, an advanced data and power management system, a dual-frequency GPS receiver, an experimental solar panel, an exploration micro-camera and other technologies.
Via: AFP
