NASA'S "Age Of Aquarius" Dawns With Launch From California

WASHINGTON -- NASA's 'Age of Aquarius' dawned Friday with the launch
of an international satellite carrying the agency-built Aquarius
instrument that will measure the saltiness of Earth's oceans to
advance our understanding of the global water cycle and improve climate forecasts.

The Aquarius/SAC-D observatory rocketed into space from Vandenberg Air
Force Base in California atop a United Launch Alliance Delta II
rocket at 7:20:13 a.m. PDT. Less than 57 minutes later, the
observatory separated from the rocket's second stage and began
activation procedures, establishing communications with ground
controllers and unfurling its solar arrays.

Initial telemetry reports show the observatory is in excellent health.
The SAC-D (Satélite de Aplicaciones Científicas) observatory is a
collaboration between NASA and Argentina's space agency, Comisión
Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE).

"Aquarius is a critical component of our Earth sciences work, and part
of the next generation of space-based instruments that will take our
knowledge of our home planet to new heights," said NASA Deputy
Administrator Lori Garver. "The innovative scientists and engineers
who contributed to this mission are part of the talented team that
will help America win the future and make a positive impact across the globe."

Aquarius will make NASA's first space observations of the salinity or
concentration of salt at the ocean surface, a key missing variable in
satellite studies of Earth. Variations in salinity influence deep
ocean circulation, trace the path of freshwater around our planet and
help drive Earth's climate.

"Data from this mission will advance our understanding of the ocean
and prediction of the global water cycle," said Michael Freilich,
director of NASA's Earth Science Division in the Science Mission
Directorate at agency headquarters in Washington. "This mission
demonstrates the power of international collaboration and accurate
spaceborne measurements for science and societal benefit. This would
not be possible without the sustained cooperation of NASA, CONAE and
our other partners."

In addition to Aquarius, the observatory carries seven instruments
that will monitor natural hazards and collect a broad range of
environmental data. Other mission partners include Brazil, Canada,
France and Italy.

"This mission is the most outstanding project in the history of
scientific and technological cooperation between Argentina and the
United States," said CONAE Executive and Technical Director Conrado
Varotto. "Information from the mission will have significant benefits
for humankind."

Aquarius will map the global open ocean once every seven days for at
least three years with a resolution of 93 miles (150 kilometers). The
maps will show how ocean surface salinity changes each month, season
and year. Scientists expect to release preliminary salinity maps later this year.

Aquarius will measure salinity by sensing thermal microwave emissions
from the water's surface with three microwave instruments called
radiometers. When other environmental factors are equal, these
emissions indicate the saltiness of surface water. A microwave radar
scatterometer instrument will measure ocean waves that affect the
precision of the salinity measurement. Because salinity levels in the
open ocean vary by only about five parts per thousand, Aquarius will
be able to detect changes as small as approximately two parts per
10,000, equivalent to about one-eighth of a teaspoon of salt in a
gallon of water.

During the next 25 days, the Aquarius/SAC-D service platform will be
tested and maneuvered into its final operational, near-polar orbit
408 miles (657 kilometers) above Earth. Science operations will begin
after the observatory's instruments are checked out. This
commissioning phase may last up to 65 days.

Aquarius was built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena,
Calif., and the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. NASA's
Launch Services Program, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, managed
the launch. JPL will manage Aquarius through its commissioning phase
and archive mission data. Goddard will manage Aquarius mission
operations and process science data. CONAE is providing the SAC-D
spacecraft, optical camera, thermal camera with Canada, microwave
radiometer, sensors from various Argentine institutions and the
mission operations center. France and Italy also are contributing
instruments. For more information about Aquarius/SAC-D, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/aquarius

and

http://www.conae.gov.ar/eng/principal.html

Source:

---