9 Dec 2022

The international Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission is one step closer to launching so it can track water on more than 90% of Earth’s surface.

The SWOT satellite, or the Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission, is now encapsulated in its payload fairing in preparation for launch. Technicians at the SpaceX processing facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California completed the operation and will soon mate the fairing to the top of a Falcon 9 rocket. The fairing protects the satellite from aerodynamic pressure and heating during ascent. After the rocket escapes Earth’s atmosphere, the fairing separates into two halves, which are jettisoned back to Earth.

Once in orbit, SWOT will measure the height of water in freshwater bodies and the ocean on more than 90% of Earth’s 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.

SWOT is a collaborative effort by NASA and France’s Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES) with contributions from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and UK Space Agency.

Launch is targeted for Dec. 15, 2022, at 3:46 a.m. PST from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

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The SWOT water-tracking satellite was encapsulated in its payload fairing on Dec. 8. It will now go atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in preparation for a launch targeting Dec. 15, 2022.