SWOT Launch

By Stargazer Ron

The first satellite specifically designed to conduct a global survey of Earth’s surface water is now in orbit.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite on schedule at 3:46am on December 16 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The rocket carried the SWOT payload to an altitude of over 500 miles. Its first stage booster returned to Vandenberg successfully to land just a quarter-mile downrange from the launch pad.

Due to overcast conditions the rocket’s trail was barely visible, seen here in this 30 second exposure as just the brightest star in the Constellation Orion. The rocket’s loud rumble at launch and then when the first stage returned were the most noticeable features of the event here in Santa Barbara.

It is expected that SWOT will revolutionize oceanography by detecting features with ten times better resolution than present technologies.