SWOT is a joint mission of NASA and the French space agency CNES to track water levels globally with much better resolution than past spacecraft.
A satellite built for NASA and the French space agency Centre National dÉtudes Spatiales (CNES) to observe nearly all the water on Earths surface lifted off on its way to low-Earth orbit. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) spacecraft also has contributions from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the UK Space Agency.
The SWOT spacecraft launched atop a SpaceX rocket from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California with a prime mission of three years. The satellite will measure the height of water in freshwater bodies and the ocean on more than 90% of Earths surface. This information will provide insights into how the ocean influences climate change; how a warming world affects lakes, rivers, and reservoirs; and how communities can better prepare for disasters, such as floods.
After SWOT separated from the second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, ground controllers successfully acquired the satellites signal. Initial telemetry reports showed the spacecraft in good health. SWOT will now undergo a series of checks and calibrations before it starts collecting science data in about six months.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said: Warming seas, extreme weather, more severe wildfires these are only some of the consequences humanity is facing due to climate change. The climate crisis requires an all-hands-on-deck approach, and SWOT is the realization of a long-standing international partnership that will ultimately better equip communities so that they can face these challenges.
SWOT will cover the entire Earths surface between 78 degrees south and 78 degrees north latitude at least once every 21 days, sending back about one terabyte of unprocessed data per day. The scientific heart of the spacecraft is an innovative instrument called the Ka-band radar interferometer (KaRIn), which marks a major technological advance. KaRIn bounces radar pulses off the waters surface and receives the return signal using two antennas on either side of the spacecraft. This arrangement one signal, two antennas will enable engineers to precisely determine the height of the waters surface across two swaths at a time, each of them 30 miles (50 kilometres) wide.
Karen St. Germain, NASA Earth Science Division director, added: Were eager to see SWOT in action. This satellite embodies how we are improving life on Earth through science and technological innovations. The data that innovation will provide is essential to better understanding how Earths air, water, and ecosystems interact and how people can thrive on our changing planet.
Among the many benefits, the SWOT mission will provide is a significantly clearer picture of Earths freshwater bodies. It will provide data on more than 95% of the worlds lakes larger than 15 acres (62,500 square meters) and rivers wider than 330 feet (100 meters) across. Currently, freshwater researchers have reliable measurements for only a few thousand lakes around the world. SWOT will push that number into the millions.
Along the coast, SWOT will provide information on sea level, filling in observational gaps in areas that dont have tide gauges or other instruments that measure sea surface height. Over time, that data can help researchers better track sea level rise, which will directly impact communities and coastal ecosystems.
Caroline Laurent, CNES Orbital Systems and Applications director, added: This mission marks the continuity of 30 years of collaboration between NASA and CNES in altimetry. It shows how international collaboration can be achieved through a breakthrough mission that will help us better understand climate change and its effects around the world.
SWOT measurements will also help researchers, policymakers, and resource managers better assess and plan for things, including floods and droughts. By providing information on where the water is where its coming from and where its going researchers can improve flood projections for rivers and monitor drought effects on lakes and reservoirs.
Laurie Leshin, NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) director, stated: SWOT will provide vital information, given the urgent challenges posed by climate change and sea level rise. JPL developed the KaRIn instrument and manages the U.S. portion of the mission. That SWOT will fill gaps in our knowledge and inform future action is the direct result of commitment, innovation, and collaboration going back many years. Were excited to get SWOT science underway.
