The NASA Aquarius spacecraft was a groundbreaking Earth-observing mission focused on studying the salinity of the Earth's oceans. Launched on June 10, 2011, Aquarius was a collaborative effort between NASA and Argentina's space agency, CONAE (Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales).
At the heart of the Aquarius mission was its instrument, the Aquarius/SAC-D (Satélite de Aplicaciones Científicas-D) microwave radiometer and scatterometer. This specialized instrument measured microwave radiation emitted from the surface of the ocean, allowing scientists to calculate sea surface salinity with unprecedented accuracy.
Understanding sea surface salinity is critical for comprehending the Earth's climate system. Changes in ocean salinity can impact ocean circulation patterns, which in turn influence climate and weather patterns on a global scale. Unfortunately, the mission came to an end in June 2015 due to technical issues with its primary instrument.
