All that you need to know about Aquarius:
- The NASA Aquarius mission was part of the Argentine SAC-D satellite, which was developed by INVAP and operated by CONAE.
- Aquarius was the primary instrument on the SAC-D satellite, designed to measure global sea surface salinity from space.
- The mission was essential for understanding how variations in ocean salinity influence global climate patterns and ocean currents.
- By measuring salinity, Aquarius helped scientists better predict climate changes and study ocean dynamics, including phenomena like El Ni?o.
- Another reason why the mission was important is that ocean salinity directly impacts seawater density, which drives ocean circulation and influences global climate systems.
- Data from Aquarius revealed the impact of freshwater plumes from rivers and how precipitation and evaporation over oceans affect salinity.
- The mission was a joint effort between NASA and Argentina's CONAE, with additional contributions from Brazil, Canada, France, and Italy.
- SAC-D was launched on June 10, 2011, from Vandenberg Air Force Base aboard a Delta II rocket.
- It was the first spaceborne instrument to use both passive radiometers and active radar in the L band to measure salinity.
- Aquarius contributed to improving climate models and predicting hurricane intensity, as well as understanding the natural exchange of freshwater between oceans, atmosphere, and sea ice.
- Aquarius' data allowed scientists to create detailed global salinity maps, helping in studies related to ocean circulation, climate change, and the Earth's water cycle.
- It was the first satellite mission capable of continuously monitoring salinity at the global scale, replacing previous inconsistent data from buoys and ships.
- It also supported the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS), an international field study on oceanographic processes.
- The SAC-D satellite carried additional instruments from NASA, CONAE, and other international partners for Earth observation, space science, and technology demonstrations.
- Aquarius used three radiometers, with large 2.5-meter (8.2 feet) diameter antenna reflectors, to scan wide swaths (390 km or 242 miles) of the ocean surface.
- The radiometers measured microwave thermal emissions from the ocean surface, which are influenced by salt concentration, enabling salinity measurements.
- It finally exceeded its initial mission goal of three years by operating for nearly four years
- It was on June 7 2015 when a power system failure on SAC-D led to the mission's end and that was officially denounced on June 8, 2015.
- But despite its early end, Aquarius achieved its main scientific objectives and provided groundbreaking data for future ocean and climate research.
