Russia has successfully launched 2 European satellites

The Russian "Rokot" boosters on November 2 were launched from the northern Plesetsk space airport, in the north of the country, bringing two European space devices, including satellites to observe Earth SMOS and test equipment. Proba-2 technology on orbit.

SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) is the second satellite built by the European Space Agency (ESA) in the "Living Planet" program. The satellites SMOS used to monitor at the global level 2 parameters affecting the weather and climate are soil moisture and salt concentrations of the oceans.

ESA says that satellites can detect changes in salt concentrations of 0.1 g salt per liter of water and soil moisture at a level of one teaspoon on a handful of soil.

Data from SMOS will complement the missing information on global level changes in soil moisture content and salt concentration of the oceans, further understanding the water circulation on Earth, thereby building the more complete climate models as well as increased accuracy for weather forecasts.

According to ESA, data on global circulation of moisture on Earth will help ecologists better understand the processes that lead to climate change as well as predict the occurrence of temporal conditions. Extreme weather, or places where storms may occur.

SMOS has a mass of 658kg, operating in a high orbit of 760km, a 3-year shelf life and can last for another 2 years.

Proba-2 satellites used to test the effectiveness of new space technologies will then be used to make future space devices.

It is expected that the satellite will test new technology products and perform four scientific experiments to monitor the Sun and weather from the universe. The satellite weighs 130kg, operating at a high orbit of 800km with a 2-year use period.