Polaris Intelligence
Polaris
Intelligence
About
Ctrl K
Sign in
© Polaris Intelligence 2026
PrivacyTermsAdmin

SWOT

active
Earth ObservationLEOCOSPAR 2022-173ALaunched 12/16/2022
Admin Edit
Mission & Launch
Launch Mission
SWOT Mission
Launch Vehicle
Falcon 9 FT5
Launch Date
12/16/2022
Orbit & Mass
Orbit Class
LEO
Altitude
858 km
Inclination
77.6 deg
Dry Mass
2,200 kg
Total Mass
2,200 kg
Payload Classification
Mission Type
Earth Observation
Payload Category
EOSCI
Payload Class
C
Organizations
Operator
French Space Agency (CNES)
Manufacturer
Thales Alenia Space
Registry
COSPAR ID
2022-173A
UN Registration
ST/SG/SER.E/1113
Track
Mentions
72
All verified mentions of this spacecraft in source documents.
0.0-5.0
Actions

SWOT uses laser ranging technology to determine its orbital position.

CapabilityValue 2.4Mar 22, 2026NASA attiva tecnologia laser per migliorare il GPS

Virginia Tech’s demonstration of SWOT technology enables coverage of rivers globally and studying their evolution at a much larger scale than prior methods.

Capability
Page1of4
General
Value 4.0
Jan 28, 2026
Geoscientists use satellite to determine not the shape of water, but how water shapes land

Virginia Tech geoscientists are using the SWOT satellite to study how water shapes the land.

CapabilityGeneralValue 2.6Jan 28, 2026Geoscientists use satellite to determine not the shape of water, but how water shapes land

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite is a joint mission between NASA and the French space agency CNES.

RelationshipsGeneralValue 3.5Jan 6, 2026NASA’s SWOT Satellite Captures Unexpected Tsunami Behavior Following Kamchatka Quake

SWOT was launched in December 2022 to survey nearly all of Earth's surface water.

CapabilityPlanValue 3.5Jan 6, 2026NASA’s SWOT Satellite Captures Unexpected Tsunami Behavior Following Kamchatka Quake

SWOT's mission validates a new approach to Earth observation, moving from 1D tracks to 2D maps of water height.

CapabilityGeneralValue 2.0Jan 6, 2026NASA’s SWOT Satellite Captures Unexpected Tsunami Behavior Following Kamchatka Quake

SWOT's advanced Karin (Ka-band Radar Interferometer) instrument showed that a significant portion of the tsunami's energy became trapped along the continental shelf.

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.5Jan 6, 2026NASA’s SWOT Satellite Captures Unexpected Tsunami Behavior Following Kamchatka Quake

The first stage booster of Falcon 9 previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, NROL-146, Bandwagon-2, NROL-153, NROL-192, Transporter-14, and 18 Starlink missions.

GeneralValue 4.0Nov 30, 2025SpaceX’s Transporter-15 mission transports 140 payloads on Friday from California

The Falcon 9 first stage previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, Transporter-14, NROL-146, Bandwagon-2, NROL-153, NROL-192, and 17 Starlink missions.

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.5Oct 8, 2025SpaceX launched Starlink smallsats Group 11-17 on Tuesday from foggy California

The first stage booster previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, Transporter-14, NROL-146, Bandwagon-2, NROL-153, NROL-192, and 17 Starlink missions.

GeneralPlanValue 4.0Oct 7, 2025Falcon 9 set to launch SpaceX’s Starlink smallsats Group 11-17 on Tuesday from California

Data from CNES satellites, including VENµS and SWOT, is stored in the datalake.

CapabilityGeneralValue 2.0Mar 18, 2025[Blog] CNES renews its contribution to THEIA land data center

The Hydroweb-next platform distributes data related to continental hydrology, including SWOT data.

CapabilityGeneralValue 2.4Mar 18, 2025[Blog] CNES renews its contribution to THEIA land data center

An innovative instrument on the SWOT satellite reveals internal waves generated by movements of water in the Strait of Gibraltar.

CapabilityValue 3.8Mar 10, 2025SWOT sees waves in the Strait of Gibraltar

The animation combined PACE chlorophyll-a data acquired on 2024-08-08 with SWOT sea surface height data taken during several passes between 2024-08-07 and 8.

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.0Dec 10, 2024NASA’s PACE, US-European SWOT satellites offer combined look at Ocean

The international Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite launched in December 2022 to measure the height of nearly all water on Earth’s surface.

CapabilityPlanValue 4.0Dec 10, 2024NASA’s PACE, US-European SWOT satellites offer combined look at Ocean

The SWOT satellite exemplifies the work of the Data Campus by providing precise water level and river flow measurements on an easy-to-use platform called hydroweb.next.

CapabilityValue 3.0Sep 27, 2024What is the Data Campus?

SWOT imagery acquired over the Rhine shows a sharp variation of about seven metres in water height on both sides of a hydroelectric dam.

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.0Sep 13, 2024SWOT aiding river navigation

Observations of the Panama Canal with SWOT have confirmed the satellite’s potential and accuracy for complex installations.

CapabilityGeneralValue 2.2Sep 13, 2024SWOT aiding river navigation

SWOT imaged two eddies in the Gulf Stream, each spanning 30 to 50 kilometers.

CapabilityValue 2.2Sep 3, 2024SWOT reveals millions of ocean eddies

SWOT can view the entire globe up to 78° North and South, acquiring measurements of water heights in almost all wetlands.

CapabilityValue 3.5Aug 21, 2024SWOT comes to the aid of wetlands