WATCH | SpaceX Falcon 9 launches NASA's water topography satellite into orbit
SpaceX Falcon 9
The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite from NASA has been sent into the orbit to survey the water on Earth and assist researchers in understanding how it influencesthe planet's climate. At 5:16 p.m. IST on December 16, the satellite launched atop SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from the Californian Vanderberg Space Force Station. The second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket kept launching the satellite into orbit as the first stage booster of the rocket touched down at Vanderberg Space Force's landing zone-4 about nine minutes after launch.
NASA announced the successful deployment of the SWOT satellite at 6:10 IST. Now, for a minimum of three years, it will cover the entire surface of the Earth at least twice every 21 days.
This specific Falcon 9 launcher, which has previously supported the NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, and two Starlink missions, successfully launched for the sixth time, according to SpaceX.
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The French Space Agency (CNES) and the Canadian and UK space agencies both played a significant role in the satellite's development, which was helmedby NASA. According to a statement from NASA,"The satellite will measure the height of water in Earth’s freshwater bodies and the ocean, providing 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, like floods."
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