European satellite to measure climate change

PARIS: The European Space Agency says a satellite designed to help measure climate change has been launched into orbit.

The agency says the satellite is the first designed ``to map sea surface salinity and to monitor soil moisture on a global scale.''

French researchers involved in the project say the satellite will help study ocean currents, which play an important role in climate change. They say better knowledge of soil moisture will lead to more accurate weather forecasting.

The European Space Agency and researchers in France and Spain developed the satellite. It was sent into orbit early Monday from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia.

The launch also included a smaller European Space Agency demonstration satellite.