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Workshop demonstrates benefits of soil moisture data validation tool
Soil moisture scientists had the opportunity to train with an ESA validation service at a recent workshop. The tool, which is highly rated by the CEOS Working Group on Calibration and Validation, provides valuable support for validating data.
SMOS data distribution resumed
SMOS data distribution to end users was resumed on 12 March 2024 after confirmation of the adequate quality of the current data.
SMOS data outage since 22 February 2024
SMOS went into safe mode on 22 February 2024 at 05:10 UTC for reasons that are still under investigation.
New reanalysis dataset impacts SMOS Level 3 and 4 sea ice thickness
On 24 January 2024 the JRA55 reanalysis dataset was terminated and updated with the Japanese Reanalysis for Three Quarters of a Century.
Space data support Earth’s ecosystems
ESA’s Earth observation (EO) missions are making a critical contribution to monitoring transformations in our planet’s ecosystems, helping track changes in the vegetation, soil, and ocean that affect these systems.
Highlighting the value of SMOS data in space weather applications
Data from ESA’s SMOS mission are driving many space weather applications, ranging from air navigation, characterisation of solar flares, space weather modelling and ionospheric electron content mapping.
Ensuring soil moisture data quality with reference measurements
ESA is taking steps to verify the accuracy of soil moisture estimation with the Fiducial Reference Measurements for Soil Moisture (FRM4SM) project and a new version of the Quality Assurance for Soil Moisture (QA4SM) service.
Update for the SMOS Near Real Time Sea Surface Wind Speed Processor configuration
An updated configuration of the SMOS Near Real Time Sea Surface Wind Speed Processor was deployed at the IFREMER and ESA operational ground segment on 4th December 2023.
SMOS Winds product configuration updates
Since 5 November 2023, several level 1 products used as input to the SMOS winds processor were flagged as warning due to antenna temperature exceeding 29° C for some of the units located in arm-A.
2nd SMOS for Space Weather Workshop
The 2nd Workshop on SMOS for Space Weather will take place on 27th October 2023, hosted by the Space Weather Group of the University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares (Madrid, Spain).
Synergy of space data helps modernise irrigation systems
The growing demands on agriculture, coupled with the climate crisis, are pressurising Earth’s valuable freshwater resources and making assessment of water practices ever more important.
Introducing the Biomass and SMOS Mission Manager
In this video, Klaus Scipal describes his role as Mission Manager of Biomass and SMOS, and what he enjoys about his involvement with these dedicated science missions.
Remote sensing data map impacts of natural hazards
As climate change increases the frequency and severity of natural disasters, remote sensing data can warn about extreme events and help tackle emergency situations.
Scientists to showcase value of Earth observation data at EGU
Remote sensing scientists are getting ready to present innovative and exciting applications of satellite data at the European Geosciences Union general assembly which will take place from 24 to 28 April in Vienna, Austria.
Overachieving SMOS mission primed for continued success
ESA’s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity mission (SMOS) was the second Earth Explorer launched in 2009. Over 13 years on, having already vastly exceeded its predicted lifetime and initial objectives, the mission has been further extended until at least the end of 2025.
Remote sensing data underpin research on soil
Environmental data disseminated by ESA’s Earth observation programmes provide knowledge about the stresses on Earth’s soils – aiding many applications such as crop management, drought and flood forecasting, and ecosystem protection.
ESA's excellent Earth Explorer missions extended to 2025
Since 2009, ESA’s Earth Explorer missions have pioneered breakthrough technologies and transformed our understanding of Earth’s system, from its core to the outer stretches of the atmosphere.
Monitoring water on Earth's surface
ESA's Earth observation satellites are playing a leading role in furthering our understanding of how Earth's terrestrial hydrosphere is being influenced by humankind.
New Landsat RBV data collection opened to users
ESA is pleased to announce that the Landsat RBV data collection has been opened to users.
Landsat RBV
This dataset contains Landsat 3 Return Beam Vidicon (RBV) products, acquired by ESA by the Fucino ground station over its visibility mask. The data (673 scenes) are the result of the digitalization of the original 70 millimetre (mm) black and white film rolls. The RBV instrument was mounted on board the Landsat 1 to 3 satellites between 1972 and 1983, with 80 metre resolution. Three independent co-aligned television cameras, one for each spectral band (band 1: blue-green, band 2: yellow-red, band 3: NIR), constituted this instrument. The RBV system was redesigned for Landsat 3 to use two cameras operating in one broad spectral band (green to near-infrared; 0.505–0.750 µm), mounted side-by-side, with panchromatic spectral response and higher spatial resolution than on Landsat 1 and Landsat 2. Each of the cameras produced a swath of about 90 km (for a total swath of 180 km), with a spatial resolution of 40 m.