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[dramatic percussion music]

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- HEY, AND WELCOME
TO "NASA LAUNCHPAD."

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I'M YOUR HOST, ALICIA SEARS.

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THINK ABOUT HOW TECHNOLOGY

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HAS CHANGED YOUR LIFE
OVER THE PAST DECADE.

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IN JUST TEN YEARS,

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YOU HAVE PROBABLY GONE FROM
THIS KIND OF COMPUTER TO THIS.

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OUR PHONES HAVE GONE
FROM THIS TO THIS.

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AND WHEN WE WANT ANSWERS,

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THE INTERNET
IS JUST A CLICK AWAY

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WITH WIRELESS CONNECTIONS
AVAILABLE TO US ALMOST ANYWHERE.

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NASA STAYS ON THE CUTTING EDGE
OF TECHNOLOGY AS WELL

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AND USES THAT TECHNOLOGY
TO HELP US ANSWER

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LEADING-EDGE
SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS,

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BUT WITH ALL THE QUESTIONS
WE MIGHT WANT TO ANSWER,

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HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE
THE QUESTIONS

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THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT?

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NASA RELIES ON THE SCIENCE
COMMUNITY TO HELP US.

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ONCE EACH DECADE,
NASA AND ITS PARTNERS

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ASK THE NATIONAL RESEARCH
COUNCIL TO LOOK OUT

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TEN OR MORE YEARS
INTO THE FUTURE

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AND PRIORITIZE RESEARCH AREAS,

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OBSERVATIONS,
AND FUTURE MISSIONS.

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THIS SPECIAL STUDY IS CALLED
THE DECADAL SURVEY,

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AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS
FROM THIS STUDY

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WILL HELP DRIVE NOT ONLY
SPACE EXPLORATION,

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BUT SPACE-BASED
EARTH SCIENCE OBSERVATIONS.

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ONE OF THE CRITICAL MISSIONS

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TO COME OUT OF THE LATEST
DECADAL SURVEY IS SMAP.

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- SMAP IS AN EXCITING
NEW NASA SATELLITE MISSION

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THAT'S GONNA BE
AN EARTH-ORBITING MISSION,

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AND WE'RE SCHEDULED TO LAUNCH
IN OCTOBER 2014.

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- SMAP WILL MEASURE
GLOBAL SOIL MOISTURE

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OVER THE EARTH
EVERY TWO OR THREE DAYS.

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IT WILL ALSO TELL US
WHETHER THAT SOIL MOISTURE

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IS FROZEN OR THAWED.

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- WE ARE ALL OBVIOUSLY AWARE

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THAT WATER IS VERY NECESSARY
FOR LIFE.

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YOU AND I WOULDN'T BE HERE
IF WATER DIDN'T EXIST.

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WHAT PEOPLE DON'T REALLY STOP
TO THINK ABOUT

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IS THAT WATER IS VERY IMPORTANT
TO THE EARTH

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AS AN INTEGRATED
PHYSICAL SYSTEM.

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- SOIL MOISTURE WORKS
A LOT LIKE PERSPIRATION.

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WHEN YOU EXERCISE OR YOU WORK,
YOU WORK UP A SWEAT.

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THE SWEAT EVAPORATES, AND IT
SERVES TO COOL THE BODY DOWN.

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SOIL MOISTURE WORKS
VERY MUCH THE SAME WAY.

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AS IT EVAPORATES,
IT COOLS THE EARTH'S SURFACE.

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IT COOLS THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE.

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IT ALSO PROVIDES WATER
TO THE ATMOSPHERE,

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WHICH THEN CAN GROW CLOUDS.

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IT'S ALSO VERY IMPORTANT
FOR PLANTS,

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SO SOME OF THE SOIL MOISTURE
WILL REACH DOWN

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INTO THE ROOT ZONE AND FEED
TREES AND PLANTS AND CROPS.

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- INDIVIDUALS CAN GO OUT

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AND STICK THEIR FINGER
IN THE SOIL IN THEIR GARDEN,

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AND THEY KNOW IMMEDIATELY
WHETHER THEY NEED

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TO WATER THEIR GARDEN,
AND THEY KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN

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TO THEIR TOMATO PLANTS IF
THEY DON'T WATER THEIR GARDEN.

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BUT IF YOU MULTIPLY
THAT BY MANY, MANY TIMES,

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YOU BEGIN TO GET A FEEL FOR
WHAT THE MOISTURE CONDITIONS ARE

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ACROSS THE STATE AND THE REGION,

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AND THE SATELLITES ALLOW US
TO MEASURE VERY LARGE AREAS

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IN SHORT PERIODS OF TIME,

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AND THEN THIS INFORMATION
THAT THEY PROVIDE

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IS VERY RELEVANT TO SOCIETY
IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.

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- AND IN TYPICAL NASA FASHION,

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THE SOIL MOISTURE ACTIVE PASSIVE
MISSION WILL BE USING

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BRAND-NEW TECHNOLOGIES
TO DO SOMETHING

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THAT HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.

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- SMAP WILL BE FLYING
TWO MICROWAVE INSTRUMENTS

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THAT SHARE A SINGLE ANTENNA.

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THE FIRST INSTRUMENT
THAT THEY'LL BE FLYING

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IS A MICROWAVE RADIOMETER.

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THE SECOND INSTRUMENT THAT WILL
BE FLYING IS A MICROWAVE RADAR.

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- AND INTERESTING FEATURES
OF THE SMAP MISSION

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IS THE VERY LARGE
GOLD-MESH ANTENNA

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THAT THE INSTRUMENT USES.

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SO AS THE ANTENNA ROTATES,
IT PRODUCES A BEAM.

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THINK OF A FLASHLIGHT BEAM.

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THE FLASHLIGHT BEAM,
IF YOU WILL,

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SCANS A LARGE CIRCULAR SWATH
ON THE EARTH'S SURFACE.

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THAT CIRCULAR SWATH
IS 1,000 KILOMETERS IN DIAMETER.

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SO THAT ALLOWS US
TO MEASURE A VERY WIDE SWATH

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OF THE EARTH'S SURFACE
AS A SATELLITE PASSES OVERHEAD.

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THAT'S IMPORTANT
BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US

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WITH A SINGLE SATELLITE
TO MEASURE

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THE ENTIRE EARTH'S SURFACE
EVERY TWO OR THREE DAYS.

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- WOW, A BRAND-NEW MAP OF GLOBAL
SOIL MOISTURE EVERY THREE DAYS?

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THAT'S A LOT OF DATA,

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BUT WHAT SORT OF APPLICATIONS
DOES ALL THIS DATA HAVE?

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- WHAT WE WANT TO DO
WITH SMAP IS UNDERSTAND

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HOW WATER AVAILABILITY
IS CHANGING AROUND THE GLOBE.

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THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF WATER
ISN'T CHANGING ON THE EARTH,

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BUT IT'S AVAILABILITY
IN REGIONS MAY CHANGE.

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- CERTAINLY IT IMPROVES
OUR ABILITY

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TO PREDICT FLOODS AND DROUGHTS.

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- IT ALSO HAS
A MORE IMMEDIATE EFFECT

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AND BENEFIT FOR THINGS
LIKE WEATHER FORECASTING.

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THE SOIL MOISTURE DATA
IN WEATHER MODELS

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GREATLY IMPROVES THE ACCURACY
OF OUR WEATHER FORECAST.

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- HAVING USEFUL SOIL MOISTURE
INFORMATION WILL--

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SHOULD BE ABLE TO IMPROVE
OUR ABILITY TO SAY SOMETHING

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ABOUT AGRICULTURE PRODUCTIVITY
AND FOOD SECURITY.

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- IT IS VERY USEFUL INFORMATION
THAT PEOPLE ARE ANXIOUS TO HAVE.

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- SO WITH MORE ACCURATE
SOIL MOISTURE INFORMATION,

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MORE ACCURATE WEATHER AND
CLIMATE FORECASTS COULD BE MADE.

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BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY,
DATA FROM SMAP

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WILL IMPROVE MONITORING
AND FORECASTING EVENTS,

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SUCH AS DROUGHTS, FLOODS,
AND LANDSLIDES.

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WHETHER IT'S FARMERS HAVING MORE
TIME TO PREPARE FOR DROUGHTS

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OR EMERGENCY WORKERS
HAVING ADVANCE NOTICE

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TO PLAN FOR A NATURAL DISASTER,

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SMAP WILL HELP US DEVELOP
BETTER FORECAST MODELS

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FOR ALL SORTS OF SITUATIONS.

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AND WITH NASA'S
NEW TECHNOLOGIES

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ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS
OF THE DECADE,

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ALL OF US WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE
BETTER, MORE INFORMED DECISIONS.

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THAT'S IF FOR THIS EPISODE.

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THANKS FOR WATCHING
"NASA LAUNCHPAD."

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[dramatic percussion music]