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The transportation trailer containing the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission arrives in the Building 836 high bay.

NASA

NASA
Washington, DC, United States

The transportation trailer containing the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, or SMAP, arrives in the Building 836 high bay on south Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

The fairing will protect the SMAP spacecraft from the heat and aerodynamic pressure generated during its ascent to orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 2. SMAP will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. These measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. SMAP data will also be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Launch is scheduled for November 2014. To learn more about SMAP, visit http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

Details

  • Title: The transportation trailer containing the fairing for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission arrives in the Building 836 high bay.
  • Location: Vandenberg AFB, CA
  • Owner: KSC
  • Album: cbabir
  • About Title: To help you find images you’re searching for, previously untitled images have been labelled automatically based on their description

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