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SWOT Technologies and Societal Needs

SWOT Technologies and Societal Needs
Published: June 15, 2017

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 water monitoring.

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The SWOT satellite observatory is being jointly built by NASA and Centre National D’Études Spatiales (CNES).
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NASA logo
NASA
A banner explaining the purpose of the SWOT mission, created and displayed during testing.
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A banner explaining the purpose of the SWOT mission, created and displayed during testing.
Understanding Surface Water Characteristics and Ocean Dynamics
AirSWOT plays a key role in SWOT mission development. It allows scientists to study interferometric data before launch and thus be prepared to effectively interpret SWOT data after launch.
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AirSWOT Platform
AirSWOT Platform
A photograph of the Varzea Forest area of Brazil (4 of 4).
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A photograph of the Varzea Forest area of Brazil (4 of 4).
Varzea Forest, Brazil
A photograph of the Varzea Forest area of Brazil (1 of 4).
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A photograph of the Varzea Forest area of Brazil (1 of 4).
Varzea Forest, Brazil
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.
Engineers integrate separate parts of the SWOT satellite into one in a Thales Alenia Space clean room facility in Cannes, France.
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A Photo from a high vantage point showing parts of the SWOT satellite being integrated in a clean room in France
Part of the SWOT satellite's science instrument payload in a clean room at a Thales facility.
Floodplain Channel in the Amazon
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Floodplain Channel in the Amazon
Floodplain Channel in the Amazon
SWOT will collect data across a 75-mile (120-kilometer) wide swath, with a gap in the center for an altimetry track. This animation shows the collection of data over the state of Florida, which is ...
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An animation showing how SWOT will collect data once it is in space.
This animation shows a simulation of SWOT collecting data over the state of Florida.
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.
This collaborative mission poster, designed by CNES (French Space Agency), shows the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite soaring over an abstract of a water molecule.
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This collaborative mission poster, designed by CNES (French Space Agency), shows the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite soaring over an abstract of a water molecule.
Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) Mission Poster
Disappearing lakes in Barrow, Alaska.
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Disappearing lakes in Barrow, Alaska.
Disappearing Lakes in Barrow, Alaska
Arctic Lakes
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Arctic Lakes
Arctic Lakes
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Open House visitors are delighted to see how well their color-coded stickers match the "sea surface topography model of the Gulf of Mexico within a wooden box.
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"SWOT in a Box" Reveal - Gulf of Mexico Model
"SWOT in a Box" Reveal - Gulf of Mexico Model
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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graphic of 7 altimeters orbiting Earth
Altimeter Series
NASA’s Blue Marble
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NASA’s Blue Marble
NASA's Blue Marble
AirSWOT is using parts of Saskatchewan as a testing ground for mapping water levels.
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The Saskatchewan River and Prairie Potholes
The Saskatchewan River and Prairie Potholes
Part of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite's science instrument payload sits in a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory during assembly.  
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SWOT's science instrument payload sitting in a clean room during assembly.
Part of the SWOT satellite's science instrument payload in a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
SWOT's nominal coverage during its 3-year science orbit will include measurements between 78°N and 78°S collected over a period of 21 days. Maps show the coverage after 3 days (left) and the full 2...
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SWOT Science Orbit
SWOT Science Orbit
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 first 90 days of the SWOT science mission will be flown in a "fast-sampling" phase that revisits specific areas once per day. This phase will begin after a 90-day commissioning phase for engine...
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This image shows a map of the 1-day repeat orbit that will occur during the calibration-validation (CalVal) phase for SWOT.
SWOT 1-Day Repeat Orbit
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)
A photograph of the Amazon River Delta, captured by Landsat in 2006.
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A photograph of the Amazon River Delta, captured by Landsat in 2006.
Landsat view of Amazon Delta
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
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