Liftoff of SMAP Spacecraft

From NASA:

And we have liftoff of our Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) spacecraft atop United Launch Alliance's Delta II rocket! Watch live coverage:http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

SMAP will provide high resolution, space-based measurements of soil moisture and its state -- frozen or thawed -- a new capability that will allow scientists to better predict natural hazards of extreme weather, climate change, floods and droughts, and help reduce uncertainties in our understanding of Earth's water, energy and carbon cycles. #EarthRightNow