A picture-perfect launch on a Delta II rocket from Vandeberg Air Force Base in California sent the newest satellite into orbit. The Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft lifted off June 10, 2011 at 7:20 a.m. PDT (1420 UTC) to gather global measurements of ocean surface salinity, leading to a better understanding of ocean circulation, climate and Earth’s water cycle. NASA’s Aquarius instrument is part of the SAC-D spacecraft built by CONAE, Argentina’s space agency.
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