SpaceX Launches SWOT satellite in NASA-led Global Water Survey Mission
SpaceX launched its SWOT satellite on November 5th, 2020 as part of a NASA-led global water survey mission. The Satellite is a collaboration between NASA and the French National Space Agency (CNES).
What is SWOT?
SWOT stands for “Surface Water Ocean Topography” and is an Earth-observing satellite mission. The mission will provide high-resolution global observations of inland waterways, oceans, and coastal areas.
The satellite is designed to measure surface water features such as rivers, lakes, and oceans with twice the resolution of existing altimetry missions.
What is the mission?
The mission will provide essential data to improve weather predictions, map water resources, and study ocean circulation, coastal ecosystem dynamics, and sea level rise.
The data will be used to:
- Improve storm predictions.
- Map water resources and identify floods.
- Understand ocean circulation, coastal ecosystems, and sea level rise.
- Identify potential places for new ocean protection areas.
What will the mission achieve?
The mission aims to provide global freshwater resources information and quantitative information on freshwater availability and use. The mission will help scientists better understand the earth’s freshwater system and the impact of climate change on water availability and use.
It will also provide more accurate ocean, coastal, and inland water data, which can be used by governments and the private sector to better plan for the conservation and management of water resources.
Conclusion
The launch of the SWOT satellite marks a major step in the NASA-led global water survey mission. The mission will provide essential data to improve weather predictions, map water resources, and study ocean circulation, coastal ecosystems, and sea level rise.
The data from the mission will help countries plan for the conservation and management of water resources, and provide valuable insight into the impact of climate change on water availability and use.
SpaceX, the ambitious aerospace enterprise owned by Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk, has continued its record-breaking streak of launches with another sparkling success – the deployment of the Soft X-ray Telescope (SWOT) satellite into space.
The unique satellite, which will be participating in a mission led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is part of a global survey of water bodies and coastlines. SpaceX launched the telescope aboard one of its rockets from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on 21 April 2021, making it the first-ever space mission of its kind.
The innovative mission is aimed at studying water dynamics, tides, and ocean circulation. To do this, SWOT’s scientists will use detailed 3D maps of more than 90 percent of the world’s oceans, lakes, and rivers.
They are hopeful that by obtaining such data on an unprecedented scale, it will help them improve their predictions of current and future coastal water levels. Doing so will prove to be an asset to humanity, as it could help coastal communities better prepare for and manage the effects of climate change.
To carry out this mission, the SWOT satellite will be equipped with a specialized laser Doppler interferometer and an ultra-wide C-band microwave radiometer, both of which will be used to measure and capture images of water bodies with unparalleled accuracy.
This historic mission would not have been possible without the partnership of organizations such as NASA, the French Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. But it was the launch of SWOT from SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket – a feat of engineering and human endeavor – which brought the satellite one giant step closer to its goal.
It’s an exciting period to be in, and those in the space industry are optimistic that this is only the beginning. With the successful completion of this mission, space exploration could be pushed to the next level, and we may even be able to better understand the changes to our planet and how we can better prepare ourselves and future generations.
