ESA it was defined with date of the next start from the Russian cosmodrome

It is informed that the companion has been taken from special storehouse where was after manufacturing about one year then the device have officially presented to journalists. Now the satellite passes a series of the tests directed on finding-out of its functionality. Session of the engineering commission which should define readiness of the device for flight, is planned for May, 25th, 2009.

New device SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) is intended for monitoring of humidity of soil and salinity of oceans. By means of the new data scientists hope better to understand the processes occurring to a water cycle in the varying climate. For achievement of the declared purposes onboard the device 69 gauges, capable to catch microwave the radiations, proceeding from water and soil are established. Gauges are placed on three telescopic «hands» of the companion.

Under the arrangement with the European space agency start is carried out by company Eurockot Launch Services. It is the joint Russian-German enterprise, 51 which percent of shares belongs to German partners, and the others 49 — to the State space research-and-production centre of a name of M.V.Hrunicheva.

Let’s remind that recently this company managed to start satellite GOCE which purpose is ultraprecise measurement of a gravitational field of the Earth and, as consequence, finding-out of the form of our planet. Specially for this purpose onboard the device six are established high-sensitivity акселерометров, three projections of a vector of acceleration intended for registration in the given point of space.

Start of this device was repeatedly postponed. So, last time it has been postponed because of difficult weather conditions. The strong wind has not allowed to open to shutters on a service tower, therefore next day the attendants had to open them manually.