The European Space Agency launches a new probe to examine the global water cycle

The European Space Agency has launched a new, state of the art weather satellite. The orbiter lifted off from +++ LM-REIN +++ Russia's cosmodrome in Plesetsk, in the north of the country. The satellite is called SMOS - and the letters stand for Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity. It's expected to provide scientists with valuable insights into the global water cycle.