* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Aquarius/SAC-D Mission

Blobrana · L

NASA's Ocean Salinity Pathfinder Celebrates its First Year in Orbit

It's been a busy first year in space for Aquarius, NASA's pioneering instrument to measure ocean surface salinity from orbit.
Designed to advance our understanding of what changes in the saltiness of the ocean's top layer say about the water cycle and variations in climate, Aquarius took only two and a half months after its launch to start measuring global salinity patterns. Since then, it has also observed regional features such as the freshwater plume gushing from the Amazon River and localized changes in ocean saltiness following a tropical storm.
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The Delta 2 rocket with the Aquarius/SAC-D satellite was launched on the 10th June, 2011

Blobrana · L

Aquarius satellite comes of age

Nasa has released the first global map of ocean surface salinity acquired by the Aquarius/SAC-D satellite, which was launched in June this year.
Knowing the saltiness of seawater will improve scientists' understanding of some key climatic processes.
Variations in salinity help drive ocean circulation and their measurement can also reveal how freshwater is moving around the planet.
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Aquarius Yields NASA's First Global Map of Ocean Salinity

NASA's new Aquarius instrument has produced its first global map of the salinity of the ocean surface, providing an early glimpse of the mission's anticipated discoveries.
Aquarius, which is aboard the Aquarius/SAC-D (Satélite de Aplicaciones Científicas) observatory, is making NASA's first space observations of ocean surface salinity variations -- a key component of Earth's climate. Salinity changes are linked to the cycling of freshwater around the planet and influence ocean circulation.
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Blobrana · L

Aquarius Makes First Ocean Salt Measurements

NASA's Aquarius instrument has successfully completed its commissioning phase and is now "tasting" the saltiness of Earth's ocean surface, making measurements from its perch in near-polar orbit.
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AQUARIUS
1 37673U 11024A   11162.93081602 -.00000049 +00000-0 +00000-0 0 00089
2 37673 098.0125 169.9085 0001544 120.0497 240.0832 14.72076973000193

DELTA 2 RB
1 37674U 11024B   11163.57712242  .00284637  57322-5  30781-3 0    95
2 37674 103.5652 169.9272 0343292 283.0763 073.2357 15.49936895   308

Blobrana · L

Argentine satellite launches from US base

The Argentine satellite SAC-D/Aquarius launched today from Vandenberg military air base in California. The launch was initially programmed for yesterday, but it was postponed on Wednesday afternoon due to "minor inconsistencies" found in the "launch information system" at NASA, Delta II.
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Aquarius 'salt mapper' satellite goes into orbit

A satellite that will map the saltiness of seawater has gone in orbit.
Data from the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft will help scientists understand better the processes that drive ocean circulation and the movement of freshwater around the planet.
A Delta rocket carried the satellite aloft, launching from California, US, at 0720 local time (1420 GMT).
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NASA'S "Age Of Aquarius" Dawns With Launch From California

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.
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