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Altimeter Series

graphic of 7 altimeters orbiting Earth
Published: April 3, 2019

Artist’s concept of seven altimeters orbiting Earth: Jason-CS/Sentinel-6B, SWOT, Sentinel-6A, Jason 3, TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason 1 and OSTM/Jason 2.

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The logo for the Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) Mission.
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The logo for the Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) Mission.
SWOT Mission Logo
Canada is home to more than 30,000 lakes including these water bodies in Northern Alberta. The abundance of surface freshwater in Canada makes it a prime target for AirSWOT investigations.
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Northern Alberta Lakes, Canada
Northern Alberta Lakes, Canada
SWOT leaving NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, en route to March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, California. Once the scientific payload arrived, it was sent to a Thale...
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A photo of the SWOT instrument loaded on a truck outside of the Spacecraft Assembly Facility and the large NASA logo painted on it.
SWOT leaving NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California en route to March Air Reserve Base.
Soccer Nets on a levee in the Amazon
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Soccer Nets on a Levee in the Amazon
Soccer Nets on a Levee in the Amazon
A view of SWOT from inside a U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft, as it was being loaded en route to Thales Alenia Space near Cannes, France.
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A view from inside the plane as the SWOT instrument is being loaded on.
A view of SWOT as it was being loaded into a U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft en route to Thales Alenia Space near Cannes, France.
SWOT technologies - advanced wide-swath technology, ocean and surface water topography measurements, and high-resolution products - will support such societal needs as dams, shipping, and surface w...
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SWOT Technologies and Societal Needs
SWOT Technologies and Societal Needs
A photograph of the Varzea Forest area of Brazil (2 of 4).
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A photograph of the Varzea Forest area of Brazil (2 of 4).
Varzea Forest, Brazil
The U.K. Space Agency will provide a part of the radar payload for SWOT.
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U.K Space Agency logo
United Kingdom Space Agency
An early rendering of the SWOT spacecraft (February 2011).
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An early rendering of the SWOT spacecraft (February 2011).
SWOT Spacecraft (Artist Concept)
Teams from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and the March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, California, loaded the scientific payload for the SWOT Earth-observing satelli...
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Team members pushing the SWOT scientific payload onto an airplane for transport to France.
SWOT's scientific payload loading into a U.S. Air Force C-17 airplane for transport to Cannes, France.
Emblem for the SWOT mission.
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Emblem for the SWOT mission.
SWOT Emblem
This SWOT "Bannerbug" exhibit was created for display during hardware tests conducted during an eleven-day period in October 2008.
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SWOT Banner on Display
SWOT Banner on Display
Pictured are team members who helped load the hardware for the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite's research instruments onto a C-17 airplane pose for a picture. The payload left M...
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A photo of SWOT team members who helped load the mission's instruments in a plane, holding up a NASA flag.
Team members who helped load the hardware onto a C-17 aircraft for SWOT's transfer from Southern, Calif. to Cannes France.
NASA’s Blue Marble
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NASA’s Blue Marble
NASA's Blue Marble
Highly visible in their red shirts, SWOT project team members - including Project Manager Parag Vaze at left - interact with the public during the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) "Open House" ...
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SWOT Exhibit at JPL Open House
SWOT Exhibit at JPL Open House
SWOT is being jointly developed by NASA and Centre National D’Études Spatiales (CNES).
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CNES logo
Centre National D'Études Spatiales
Crowds flock to the Earth Sciences exhibits during the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) "Open House" event, giving volunteers (red shirts) a chance to share information about their various miss...
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JPL Open House Earth Sciences Exhibits
JPL Open House Earth Sciences Exhibits
A diagram illustrating the swaths of data that SWOT will collect. 
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A diagram illustrating the swaths of data that SWOT will collect.
Diagram of SWOT Data Collection
The Canadian Space Agency will contribute to the SWOT Mission by providing a high-power assembly component for SWOT’s Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn).
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CSA logo
Canadian Space Agency
An artist’s concept of the SWOT spacecraft (January 2012).
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An artist’s concept of the SWOT spacecraft (January 2012).
SWOT Spacecraft (Artist Concept)
A Flooded Forest in the Amazon
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A Flooded Forest in the Amazon
A Flooded Forest in the Amazon
Mounted above the Payload Module, the Spacecraft Bus is a multi-purpose platform housing many of the electronics required for the observatory to function, including components for power, propulsion...
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SWOT Spacecraft Bus
SWOT Spacecraft Bus
Arctic Lakes
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Arctic Lakes
Arctic Lakes
SWOT Applications Lead, Margaret Srinivasan, helps young visitors match data user types - from coastal safety officers to farmers - with pictures representing SWOT applications.
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SWOT Matching Card Game
SWOT Matching Card Game
NASA has selected Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, California, to provide launch services for SWOT.
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SpaceX Launch Vehicle
SpaceX Launch Vehicle