The latest issue of the SMOS newsletter is now available.

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Due to a scheduled software maintenance on 16 April 2019 from 09:30 to 11:30 CEST, the ingestion of new SMOS products on the ESA SMOS online dissemination service will be delayed until the maintenance is completed.

A new interactive PDF has been released, providing multimedia information on all aspects of the SMOS mission.

The length and precision with which climate scientists can track the salinity, or saltiness, of the oceans is set to improve dramatically according to researchers working as part of ESA's Climate Change Initiative.

Even just within the last couple of months, Cyclones Fani, Idai and Kenneth have brought devastation to millions. With the frequency and severity of extreme weather like this expected to increase against the backdrop of climate change, it is more important than ever to forecast and track events accurately. And, an ESA satellite is helping with the task in hand.

With recent stories in the news about the devastation brought by hurricanes and typhoons to the US and Asia, we are reminded of how important it is to predict the paths of these mighty storms and also learn more about how they develop. Many satellites have eyes on storms, but ESA's SMOS mission can offer an entirely new perspective.

Feeding a growing global population is a major concern, but efforts to grow more food will place an added burden on precious supplies of freshwater. New research shows how measurements of soil moisture from space could be used to understand how much water is used for agriculture and potentially help farmers manage consumption.