The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Friday launched a new Earth-observing satellite to determine the saltiness of the ocean from space. The Aquarius/SAC-D satellite launched early Friday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on an unmanned Delta 2 rocket. It will take an hour after the takeoff for the satellite to reach orbit and open up its solar panels. Once it settles into orbit, Aquarius will record salt levels in oceans around the world with precision for the next three years. Researchers expect the data will help them better understand global patterns of precipitation, evaporation, and ocean circulation-key drivers of Earth's climate. “In this mission, NASA is really ready to take an important science and technological leap forward,” said Gary Lagerloef, Aquarius principal investigator at Earth and Space Research in Seattle, during a prelaunch briefing Tuesday. The $400 million mission will produce monthly maps detailing changes in salt levels in the topmost layer of the ocean and collect other environmental data. NASA has spent $287 million for its portion of the mission, which is a partnership between the U.S. and Argentina space agencies, with the countries of Brazil, Canada, France, and Italy also participating. The Aquarius satellite mission joins 13 other NASA satellite missions dedicated to studying Earth from space. The satellite is aimed for an orbit about 657 kilometers above Earth.
