The soil moisture and ocean salinity (SMOS) mission: First results and achievements

The SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) satellite was successfully launched in November 2009. This ESA led mission for Earth Observation is dedicated to providing soil moisture over continental surface (with an accuracy goal of 0.04 m3m3) and ocean salinity (with a goal of 0.1psu). These two geophysical features are important as they control the energy balance between the surface and the atmosphere. Their knowledge is of interest at global scales for climatic and weather research in particular for improving model forecasts. But it also has impact on various domains, ranging from hurricane monitoring to water resource management. The first six months after the launch, the so called commissioning phase, was dedicated to testing the functionalities of the spacecraft, the instrument and the ground segment including data processing. This phase was successfully completed in May 2010, and SMOS has since been in the routine operation phase, providing data products for the scientific community for over two years. The instrument performance and data quality fit the specifications. However, radio frequency interferences have been detected over large parts of Europe, China, Southern Asia, and the Middle East. The generation of Level 2 soil moisture and ocean salinity data is an on-going activity with continuously improved processings.