ORGANIZATION

The overall mission is under European Space Agency (ESA) responsibility and implemented in cooperation with the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES - France) and the Center for Technical and Industrial Development (CDTI - Spain).

An Agreement signed between ESA and CNES defines the terms and the condition of the cooperation for the implementation of the SMOS mission. In this cooperative framework, ESA procures the payload, the launcher, and covers the Payload Data Processing Ground Segment (DPGS) development, for level 1 and 2 data, on behalf of Spain through CDTI funding. CNES provides a Proteus Platform, performs all the Satellite activities, Operations Ground Segment (SOGS) development and related operation over the mission duration. CNES is also in charge of the Centre Aval de Traitement des Données SMOS (CATDS) developement dedicated to data products at level 3 and 4.

An ESA's SMOS Project Manager is responsible for the overall project management and the management of the ESA activities, in accordance with ESA Rules and procedures. He is supported by the SMOS Lead Investigator and the CNES Project Manager who functionally reports to him. The CNES Project Manager is responsible for the management of the CNES activities, in accordance with CNES Rules and Procedures. To conduct project implementation, parties have approved a SMOS Project Implementation Plan (PIP) which defines the mission planning, the list of parties procurements, conduct of mission operations and data delivery.

In order to supervise the activities of the Parties, a SMOS Inter-Agency Board (IAB) is established to provide any necessary guidance and to resolve any technical or programmatic issues which may have significant impact on the activities of the Parties. The IAB is co-chaired by ESA and CNES representatives with possible invitation of nominated observers. The SMOS Lead Investigator is a member of the IAB. The Project Managers also participate to the IAB meetings, in particular for reporting any issue remaining unsolved at their level.

For the Science activities, ESA relies on an Advisory group of scientists: the SMOS Science Advisory Group (SMOS SAG). This group is chaired by the Lead investigator (Y. Kerr CESBIO) and Co chaired by the Ocean Salinity Co Lead Investigator (J. Font, ICM CSIC). The Secretary is M. Berger (ESA). The role of the SAG is to provide Advice to ESA and to co-ordinate scientific activities performed by Expert Support Laboratories (ESL).

The mission organization includes the ESA ESTEC and ESRIN Centers, the ESA Outstation of Villafranca and the French CNES - Toulouse Center.