The ocean suface salinity is a fundamental parameter to better understand and predict ocean circulation, water cycle, climate and their interactions. Measuring this parameter from space is also a huge technical challenge, and two experimental missions will atempt to achieve this goal in the coming years : SMOS (ESA mission to be launched in September 2009) and AQUARIUS (NASA/Argentina mission to be launched in 2010). CERSAT is highly involved in this challenge, as an expert support laboratory for ESA and also as a processing and archiving center for SMOS mission, through the CATDS (Centre Aval de Traitement des Données SMOS) supported by CNES.
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