NASA has launched the first-ever global satellite mission that will observe nearly all water on Earth’s surface, measuring the height of water in Earth’s lakes, rivers, reservoirs and oceans. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) spacecraft launched Friday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. “Warmer seas, extreme weather, more severe wildfires – these are just some of the consequences humanity is facing because of climate change,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. Nelson said, “The climate crisis requires a fully convergent approach, and SWOT is the culmination of a long-standing international partnership that will ultimately better equip communities to meet these challenges. ”
The satellite was built by NASA and the French space agency Center National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES). The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the UK Space Agency also contribute to the SWOT spacecraft. The satellite will measure the height of more than 90 percent of the Earth’s surface water in fresh water bodies and oceans.
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This information will provide insight into how the ocean affects climate change; how a warming world affects lakes, rivers and reservoirs; How communities can be better prepared for disasters like floods, the US space agency said.
Latest Earth science satellite launched on December 16 over A @spacex Falcon 9 Rocket.
led by NASA @CNESThe #SWOTMission The first to help scientists track changes in nearly all of Earth’s surface water. https://t.co/Dy9MQL5P44 pic.twitter.com/KWhHdtiiQL— NASA (@NASA) December 16, 2022
SWOT will cover the entire Earth’s surface between 78 degrees south and 78 degrees north latitude at least once every 21 days, sending back approximately one terabyte of unprocessed data per day.
lift off!
Kennedy’s @NASA_LSP Launch of managed SWOT mission a @spacex The Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 6:46 a.m. ET. pic.twitter.com/XbjI4LNuRh— NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (@NASAKennedy) December 16, 2022
“We look forward to seeing SWOT in action,” said Karen St. Germain, director of the NASA Earth Science Division. SWOT measurements will help researchers, policy makers and resource managers better assess and plan for things including floods and droughts.
By providing information about where water is — where it’s coming from and where it’s going — researchers can improve flood projections for rivers and monitor the effects of drought on lakes and reservoirs.
(With inputs from IANS)