NASA has selected two new $175 million mission proposals for the agency's Earth System Science Pathfinder small satellite programme. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory will provide global measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide, while Aquarius will provide the first global maps of salt concentration on the ocean surface, which influences the ocean's capacity to store and transport heat, affecting climate. A back-up mission called Hydros, to monitor soil moisture from orbit, has also been selected.
Source: Flight International
