NASA's SWOT Spacecraft Separates from SpaceX Falcon 9 Second Stage

NASA's SWOT Spacecraft Separates from SpaceX Falcon 9 Second Stage

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) spacecraft has separated from the Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage, beginning the first mission dedicated to surveying nearly all water on Earth’s surface. SWOT launched on the Falcon 9 rocket at 3:46 a.m. on Dec. 16, 2022. 

SWOT will be NASA’s first global survey of nearly all water on Earth’s surface. Scientists plan to use its observations to better understand the global water cycle, furnish insight into the ocean’s role in how climate change unfolds, and provide a global inventory of water resources. The SWOT mission is a collaborative effort between NASA and the French space agency Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES) with contributions from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the UK Space Agency.

NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is managing the launch service.

Learn more about SWOT: 

https://swot.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/overview/

Credit: NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC)

Duration: 32 seconds

Release Date: Dec. 16, 2022

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