[Satellite TODAY 02-25-10] The French Space Agency (CNES) has contracted Thales Alenia Space to build the Jason-3 weather satellite based on the Proteus platform, the manufacturer announced Feb. 24.
    The satellite, expected for mid 2013, will be placed in the same orbit as Jason-2 to provide coverage over ice-free ocean surfaces.
Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS), also built by Thales Alenia Space and launched in November 2009, will work with Jason-3 to provide regular maps of sea surface salinity, showing where and when large amounts of fresh waters are introduced in the cycle, for instance through rains, about 90 percent of which are estimated to fall over open sea.
    The Jason-3 operational oceanographic mission is a collaboration between Eumetsat, NASA and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. Financial details of the contract were not disclosed.

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