On Feb. 24, 2015 commands were sent to NASA’s soil moisture mapper (SMAP) to unfurl its 20-foot-wide antenna. The successful opening of the antenna is critical to the mission’s ability to measure global soil moisture from space.
The Soil Moisture Active Passive mission will track soil moisture and the freeze-thaw state of the ground worldwide. The mission will help improve climate and weather forecasts and allow scientists to monitor droughts and better predict flooding caused by severe rainfall or snowmelt — information that can save lives and property. In addition, since plant growth depends on the amount of water in the soil, SMAP data will allow nations to better forecast crop yields and assist in global famine early-warning systems. For more information, go to
