The radar measurements made by NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory are sensitive to whether land surfaces are frozen or thawed. As liquid water freezes in soil, the water molecules become bound in a crystalline lattice, which changes how the incoming radar energy from SMAP interacts with Earth's surface, compared to soil containing freely oriented liquid water molecules.
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"With its antenna now spinning at full speed, NASA's new Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory has successfully re-tested its science instruments and generated its first global maps, a key step to beginning routine science operations next month."
Read more HERE!
Brian
So, now that we have a satellite in space called SMAP, why is the data from the spacecraft so important?
SMAP will help:
Monitor Drought
Predict Floods
Assist Crop Productivity
Improve Weather Forecasting
Linking Water, Energy, and Carbon Cycles
Read more HERE
To find our where the SMAP spacecraft is, at any time in relation to my school, you can check on the SMAP Orbit Calculator Tool!
As you might have noticed in the SMAP Block Pattern Soil Moisture Protocol document, we recommend that measurements be taken and collected around 9:00am local time. This is due to the SMAP spacecraft's 6am and 6pm local time equator crossings. In order to...
Hi Everyone,
This past week and a half has been rather quiet as we performed two orbital maneuvers. The first maneuver placed the spacecraft at an altitude closer to its final orbit. The second one slightly adjusted the inclination of the orbit to ensure that SMAP goes over the equator at approximately 6:00 am and 6:00 pm every day, which are the ideal times to obtain our science...
