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$1 billion Aqua satellite launched

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, California (CNN) -- A NASA satellite designed to collect information on Earth's oceans and water cycle was launched Saturday morning.

The satellite is named Aqua -- the Latin word for water. It carries six different instruments to monitor water in the air, land and sea.

Aqua was launched at 2:55 a.m. (5:55 a.m. EDT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. A NASA news release reported that the probe's antenna was successfully deployed and that scientists were receiving telemetry. Aqua will begin work in about two weeks.

"Aqua will observe our Earth's oceans, atmosphere, land, ice and snow covers and vegetation," said Claire Parkinson of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

"This comprehensive approach enables scientists to study the interactions among key elements of the Earth system so as to better understand our planet."

Studying how oceans, clouds and rain affect the Earth's ecosystems should help scientists better understand the dynamics of global climate change, mission researchers said.

During its six-year mission, Aqua will circle the Earth about once a day about 438 miles above the planet.

The nearly $1 billion orbiter is the sister satellite to Terra, a NASA spacecraft launched in 1999 that also studies global environmental change.

Aqua is part of NASA's Earth Observing System, a group of satellites that monitor the planet. Other satellites include the Jason I and the twin GRACE satellites.