Europe Launches Flood-Predicting Satellite and Test Probe

MikeChino writes to mention that the European Space Agency has launched a pair of satellites, one that will pinpoint accurately the future location and intensity of floods and droughts, and the other aimed at testing new tech. Launched on a Russian rocket launcher from the Plesestk cosmodrome, the SMOS probe will measure soil moisture, plant growth, and ocean salt levels across the globe. The measurements gathered by the SMOS probe can be used to track ocean circulation patterns and soil moisture — data that can be used to predict quickly drought and flood risk in certain areas, as well as the intricacies of the planet's climate cycle. The other satellite, a smaller demonstration probe dubbed Proba 2, will test 17 new technologies ranging from a new wide-angle view camera to a xenon-fed resistojet thruster.

Comments

"Xenon-Fed Resistojet Thruster."

[R2.0]

And a new band name was coined.

Better add some umlauts, though.

Who'd've guessed

[T Murphy]

The measurements gathered by the SMOS probe can be used to track [...] soil moisture -- data that can be used to predict quickly drought and flood risk in certain areas

So when they measure that soil moisture is zero for a while, they can predict that a drought is going to have happened, and with soil moisture of about 6 feet of surface water, they can predict that flooding is going to have happened. Finally we should have a system more accurate than whatever those "meteorologists" use.

Re:Who'd've guessed

[khallow]

So when they measure that soil moisture is zero for a while, they can predict that a drought is going to have happened, and with soil moisture of about 6 feet of surface water, they can predict that flooding is going to have happened. Finally we should have a system more accurate than whatever those "meteorologists" use.

The irony here is that, despite the sarcasm, this indeed is a faster system. Meteorologists can only measure where they have instruments that they can get data from. If your instrument gets washed out or never existed in the first place, then you don't get a measurement. While this satellite can measure anything it passes over.

Re:Who'd've guessed

[T Murphy]

Maybe they should have included some sarcasm detectors in the satellite too. I hear some people could make use of those.

ENSO formation

[fremsley471]

The salinity products from SMOS are now the most interesting part of the mission. Serendipitous 50 km soil moisture retrievals from the active microwave scatterometer (primarily an ocean wind sensor) on ESA METOP have been around for a few years and have undercut the novelty of this mission's land surface measurements.

However, the holy grail of oceanographic remote sensing is observing the surface conditions in the Western Pacific during El Nino formation. Measurements of near-daily surface salinity changes could elucidate the cause of ENSO or, at the very least, would become a useful diagnostic tool. SMOS should be more than capable of this.

Re:Man

[Arthur Grumbine]

Editors. The ones you are looking for all called editors. And if irony were xenon right now, we could all fuel our own resistojet thrusters.

Re:Proba 2?

[Anonymous Coward]

PROBA2 is the second technology validation satellite built by a Belgian consortium, and its instruments are built with aid from countries all over Europe and beyond (e.g. LYRA). PROBA stands for "Project for On-Board Autonomy".

Carefully worded!

[dotancohen]

...data that can be used to predict quickly drought and flood risk in certain areas,

Notice how "gives little to no warning" was worded as "predict quickly".