The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Variability in the moisture held in soil is a consequence of the continuous exchange of water between the land and atmosphere. Although soil only holds a small percentage of the total global budget, soil moisture plays an important role in the water cycle.
ESA's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission will provide global maps of soil moisture every three days. The soil moisture data delivered by the SMOS mission are being validated by taking coincident ground truth measurements, which are being fed into the newly established International Soil Moisture Network.