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SMOS mission overview
 
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From an altitude of 763 km, the SMOS antenna will view an area almost 3000 km in diameter. Because of the Y-shaped antenna and the interferometry measurement principle, the field-of-view is limited to a hexagon-like shape about 1000 km across.

Credits: ESA - AOES Medialab
 
 
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Interferometry principle
Interferometry measures the phase difference between electromagnetic waves at two or more receivers, which are a known distance apart (baseline). As long as the observed phase difference can be related to waves emitted at the same time, the origin of the wave can be determined.

Credits: ESA - AOES Medialab
 
  Last update: 2 November 2009 
 
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More information
SMOS - ESA's water mission (BR-288)SMOS - la misión del agua de la ESA
(BR-278)SMOS – mission de l'ESA dédiée au cycle de l'eau (BR-278)SMOS factsheet
Special features
SMOS: ESA's water mission
From a technological perspective
Technology leaps let SMOS follow Earth’s water
Related links
Thales Alenia SpaceCNESEADS-CASACESBIO SMOS pageIfremer-Cersat Salinity CenterGerman SMOS Project OfficeSMOS Barcelona Expert CentreSMOS Level 3/4 Processing Centre, SpainInternational Soil Moisture Network
 
 
 
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