Satellite launched to map world’s oceans, lakes, rivers will ‘see things never seen before’
- It will measure the height of water on more than 90 per cent of Earth’s surface, allowing scientists to track the flow and identify high-risk areas
- Swot (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) is needed more than ever as climate change worsens droughts, flooding and coastal erosion, say scientists
A US-French satellite that will map almost all of the world’s oceans, lakes and rivers rocketed into orbit on Friday.
The predawn launch aboard a SpaceX rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California capped a highly successful year for Nasa.
Nicknamed Swot – short for Surface Water and Ocean Topography – the satellite is needed more than ever as climate change worsens droughts, flooding and coastal erosion, according to scientists.
“We’re going to be able to see things that we could just not see before … and really understand where water is at any given time,” said Benjamin Hamlington at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
About the size of an SUV, the satellite will measure the height of water on more than 90 per cent of Earth’s surface, allowing scientists to track the flow and identify potential high-risk areas. It will also survey millions of lakes as well as 1.3 million miles (2.1 million kilometres) of rivers, from headwater to mouth.
The satellite will shoot radar pulses at Earth, with the signals bouncing back to be received by a pair of antennas, one on each end of a 33-foot (10-metre) boom.
