TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Saturday launched a Delta 2 rocket carrying Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

The satellite is on a mission to track the amount of water in soil, which can help residents in low-lying regions anticipate floods and farmers prepare for drought.

NASA launch manager Tim Dunn said there were no launch problems in the rocket. Once the satellite reaches the desired 692 kilometers high, engineers will operate two instruments to measure moisture in the soil to produce high-resolution global maps.

Scientists hope that the satellite data can improve flood forecasts and drought monitoring.

“This data will benefit not only scientists seeking a better understanding of our planet, climate and environment [...] it’s a boon for emergency planners and policy makers,” said Geoffery Yoder, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for programs, as quoted by the Hindu on Sunday.

Drought maps and flood guidance in some countries have been based on computer graphic. SMAP is able to measure conditions of soil in more details.

Besides SMAP, the rocket also carried three research monosatelliters for JPL, Montana State University and California Polytechnic State University. More than 100 students were involved in designing and building the nanosatellites known as CubeSats.

THE HINDU | WINONA AMANDA