NASA launches groundbreaking Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory
Saturday, January 31, 2015 - 11:30
in Astronomy & Space
NASA successfully launched its first Earth satellite designed to collect global observations of the vital soil moisture hidden just beneath our feet. The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory now begins a three-year mission that will figuratively scratch below Earth's surface to expand our understanding of a key component of the Earth system that links the water, energy and carbon cycles driving our living planet.