Visit the ESA pavilion at 'Le Bourget 2009'   Outside view of ESA pavilion, Le Bourget, Paris Air Show 18-24 June   ESA’s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission will provide global maps of soil moisture and ocean salinity. Soil moisture data are urgently required for hydrological studies; data on ocean salinity are vital for improving our understanding of ocean circulation patterns. Together, these data will contribute to furthering our knowledge of Earth’s water cycle, and help to improve climate, weather and extreme-event forecasting.   Mrs Simonetta Di Pippo, ESA Director of Human Spaceflight and the six individuals who will become Europe's new astronauts were presented at a press conference held at ESA Headquarters in Paris, France, on 20 May 2009. The new recruits will join the European Astronaut Corps and start their training to prepare for future missions to the International Space Station, and beyond. From left to right: Luca Parmitano, Timothy Peake, Thomas Pesquet, Simonetta Di Pippo, Andreas Mogensen, Samantha Cristoforetti, Alexander Gerst. Release date: 4 June 2009