Artist's concept of NASA's Aquarius/SAC-D observatory. SAC-D observatory will provide NASA's first space-based global measurements of salinity at the ocean surface.
NASA's 'Salt of the Earth' Aquarius Reveals First Map
NASA's Aquarius instrument has produced its first global map of the salinity, or saltiness, of Earth's ocean surface, providing an early glimpse of the mission's anticipated discoveries.
A Delta II rocket launches with the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft payload from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. on Friday, June 10, 2011.
A Delta II rocket launches with the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft payload from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. on Friday, June 10, 2011.
NASA's Aquarius instrument on the Aquarius/SAC-D observatory gives an unprecedented look at a key factor involved in the formation of an oceanic wave feature in the tropical Pacific and Atlantic Oceans that influences global climate patterns.
NASA's Salt-Seeking Instrument Gets a Silvery Blanket
Technicians from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., install thermal blankets on the Aquarius instrument at Brazil's National Institute for Space Research.
Aquarius - SAC-D Spacecraft is Prepped for Shipping
Technicians lower the cover over the shipping container holding the international Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft at Brazil's National Institute for Space Research.
Less than two months before launch, team members conduct their final checks of NASA's Aquarius instrument at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Subsequent final instrument tests will be conducted on the launch pad.