ESA - Living Planet Programme - Earth Explorers - SMOS and Proba-2 ready for launch

About Earth Explorers

Earth Explorers

GOCE SMOS CryoSat-2 ADM-Aeolus Swarm EarthCARE Future missions

Campaigns

Campaigns Current campaigns

Services

Calendar Subscribe Contact us

Article Images

SMOS and Proba-2 ready for launch

30 October 2009

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES MPG (Size: 2 057 kb)

ESA's SMOS and Proba-2 satellites are launched on a Rockot launch vehicle from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. Liftoff is at 02:50 CET (01:50 UT) on 2 November 2009.

Credits: ESA - AOES Medialab

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES JPEG (Size: 1480 kb)

Rehearsing the launch countdown in the Mission Control Centre in Plesetsk, Russia on 28 October.

Credits: ESA - S. Corvaja, 2009

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES JPEG (Size: 1433 kb)

The upper composite, which holds the SMOS and Proba-2 satellites, is hoisted to the top of the service tower and then onto the lower stages of the Rockot launcher. SMOS and Proba-2 were installed in the launch tower on 27 October.

Credits: ESA - S. Corvaja, 2009

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES MP4 (Size: 2 300 kb)

HI-RES WMV (Size: 2 280 kb)

SMOS will make global observations of soil moisture over land and sea-surface salinity over the oceans to improve our understanding of the water cycle. Data from SMOS will be important for weather and climate modelling, water resource management, agriculture and also contribute to the forecasting of hazardous events such as floods.

Credits: ESA - AOES Medialab

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES JPEG (Size: 2364 kb)

Proba-2 is flight-testing a total of 17 technology demonstrators for future ESA missions. It also serves as a scientific platform for solar and space weather observations.

Credits: ESA/Pierre Carril

SMOS launch

Proba-2