ESA's SMOS water mission goes live ESA's SMOS satellite
completed its six-month commissioning this week and formally
began operational life. This milestone means the mission is now
set to provide much-needed global images of soil moisture and
ocean salinity to improve our understanding of the water cycle.
The Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite was
launched on 2 November last year, and has since undergone an
intense programme of calibration and commissioning in
preparation for its life in service. At a three-day review this
week in Ávila, Spain, all the elements of the mission were found
to be in excellent shape. The meeting concluded with the formal
end of commissioning. Responsibility for the mission has now
been transferred from ESA's Project Manager, Achim Hahne, who
held the reins since the mission was selected in 2001 for
development, to Susanne Mecklenburg, ESA's SMOS Mission Manager,
who is responsible for the data and its delivery to the
scientific community. Achim Hahne said, "I would