SMOS

SMOS

ESA

Spacecraft nº:

ESA spacecraft nº: 71

Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity mission

Launch data:

Designation	36036 / 09059A
Launch date	02 Nov 2009 - 01:51 UT
Launch site	Plesetsk, LC-133
Launch vehicle	Rokot-KM
Mission	Government: Earth observation
Sun-Synchronous LEO Earth orbit:
Perigee / Apogee	759 x 561 km
Eccentricity	-1.41E-02
Inclination	98.45 deg
Period	100.03 min

Spacecraft data:

Prime contractor	Thales Alenia Space
Platform
Operator	CNES / ESA
Mass at launch	658 kg
Dry Mass	630 kg
Basic shape
Dimension (m)
Solar array
Stabilization
DC power	1065 W
Design lifetime	3+ yrs - still active

YouTube: Integration of SMOS & Proba-2 with launcher at Plesetsk.

Mission details:

Mission to measure sea surface salinity and soil moisture on a global scale.
Khrunichev launched a Rokot (UR-100N missile with Briz-KM upper stage) from Plesetsk on Nov 2 and placed the European SMOS and PROBA-2 satellites in orbit. SMOS is the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity mission, obtaining climate-related data using a microwave aperture-synthesis interferometer.

Ref: #7(JR618), #84a, #226 - update: 26.03.10