VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA A NASA satellite lifted off early Saturday with the hope it will transmit data that will help the world do a better job of preparing for floods and droughts.

The satellite is on a three-year mission to track the amount of water locked in soil, which may help residents in low-lying regions brace for floods or farmers get ready for drought conditions.

The tiny amount of soil moisture links the planets overall environmental systems its water, energy and carbon cycles as well as determines whether particular regions are afflicted with drought or flooding.

Its the metabolism of the system, said the satellites lead scientist, Dara Entekhabi of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The Delta 2 rocket carrying the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite launched shortly before sunrise from Vandenberg Air Force Base on Californias central coast. As the rocket zoomed skyward, it gave off an orange glow.

About an hour later, the satellite successfully separated from the rocket and began unfurling its solar panels to start generating power.

NASA launch manager Tim Dunn said there were zero launch problems with the rocket, calling the Delta 2 a workhorse.

Once the satellite reaches the desired orbit 430 miles (692 kilometers) high, engineers will spend two weeks checking out the two instruments, which will measure moisture in the soil every few days to produce high-resolution global maps.

Scientists hope data collected by the satellite, the latest to join NASAs Earth-orbiting fleet, will improve flood forecasts and drought monitoring.

At a news conference broadcast online, SMAP mission project manager Kent Kellogg said the launch went off without a hitch.

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NASA launches satellite to monitor droughts, floods