Emcore Corp. has been awarded a solar panel manufacturing contract from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for its Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, which is targeted for launch in 2014, the company announced. Solar panels populated with Emcore’s ZTJ triple-injection solar cells will power the SMAP spacecraft and instrument suite in near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit for the duration of the mission. The SMAP mission will provide global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state. The measurements will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the planet’s water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models. The data also will be used to quantify net carbon flux in boreal landscapes and to develop improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities. Emcore provides compound semiconductor-based components and subsystems for the fiber optic and solar power markets. For more information, visit: www.emcore.com