Post by glactus on Jan 11, 2012 1:13:40 GMT
SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction model.
The SMAP spacecraft
The SMAP observatory employs a dedicated spacecraft with an instrument suite that will be launched on an expendable launch vehicle into a 680-km near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit, with equator crossings at 6 am and 6 pm local time.
SMAP in orbit
The SMAP instrument includes a radiometer and a synthetic aperture radar operating at L-band (1.20-1.41 GHz). The instrument is designed to make coincident measurements of surface emission and backscatter, with the ability to sense the soil conditions through moderate vegetation cover. The instrument measurements will be analyzed to yield estimates of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state.
The Astronomy club looking at SMAP
Credits: These are non copywrite imagessmap.
Text by JPL/NASA
Space art by Glactus
The SMAP spacecraft
The SMAP observatory employs a dedicated spacecraft with an instrument suite that will be launched on an expendable launch vehicle into a 680-km near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit, with equator crossings at 6 am and 6 pm local time.
SMAP in orbit
The SMAP instrument includes a radiometer and a synthetic aperture radar operating at L-band (1.20-1.41 GHz). The instrument is designed to make coincident measurements of surface emission and backscatter, with the ability to sense the soil conditions through moderate vegetation cover. The instrument measurements will be analyzed to yield estimates of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state.
The Astronomy club looking at SMAP
Credits: These are non copywrite imagessmap.
Text by JPL/NASA
Space art by Glactus