Space and Earth's Environment

Before satellites, industry in space seemed futuristic. The future is now and none too soon for our home planet.

Since ancient times people have been looking up to find out all they can about space. Well, now we need space to look down and give us information about Earth. The MIRAS instrument on the European Space Agency’s SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) satellite has recently been switched on and will do just that.

So, what does this have to do with us? Let’s look at our biological needs and how nature provides for us. Soil contains nutrients that dissolve in water and then travels through the roots of plants and trees to be part of the fruits and vegetables that give us nutrition. For instance, iron, potassium, magnesium and calcium go from the soil into apples, oranges, tomatoes and carrots. When we eat these fruits and vegetables we are helping our blood cells, heartbeat and bones. Soil moisture is an important step in getting the nutrients into food that feeds our bodies. What agricultural experts learn from the space view of Earth can have a direct and promising impact on our food supply.