ESA - SMOS - Launch site

SMOS at a glance

An Earth Explorer Mapping soil moisture and ocean salinity Improving our understanding of the water cycle Introducing a novel use of technology Facts and figures

About the satellite

Platform Instrument

About the launch

Launch site

Launcher

SMOS in orbit

After liftoff Data

Meet the team

Achim Hahne, Project Manager Susanne Mecklenburg, Mission Manager Matthias Drusch, Mission Scientist Jordi Font, Co-Lead Investigator Yann Kerr, Co-Lead Investigator Manuel Martin-Neira, Instrument Principal Engineer Guillermo Buenadicha, Payload Operations Engineer Andrés Borges, EADS CASA Espacio Payload Project Manager Roger Jegou, Launch Campaign Manager Norrie Wright, Payload Data Ground Segment Manager

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Launch site

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SMOS will be launched by a Rockot launch vehicle from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia.

Credits: AOES Medialab

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Plesetsk was founded in 1957. Situated in the Archangel region of Russia at latitude 620 54' north and longitude 400 23' east, Plesetsk was the Soviet Union's most northern launch base, used to place mainly military satellites into polar orbit. Until recently Plesetsk was the busiest launch base in the world.

Credits: Videocosmos Company

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The launch tower at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome that supports the Rockot launcher that carries GOCE into orbit.

Credits: ESA - S. Corvaja, 2009

In depth

Proba missions Plesetsk Rockot