Two cameras on NASA’s Ocean and Surface Water Survey spacecraft captured on video over four days the in-orbit deployment of the mast and antenna panels of the spacecraft’s main science instrument.
The SWOT satellite was launched into Earth orbit on December 16 with the goal of measuring the height of water on more than 90% of the Earth’s surface, providing for the first time a high-definition study of our planet’s water.
At each end of the mast are located the two antennas that belong to the innovative Ka-Band Radar Interferometer (Karin) instrument. The tool is designed to make accurate measurements of the height of water in Earth’s freshwater bodies and oceans.
Karin will see eddies, currents, and other ocean features less than 20 kilometers wide. It will also collect data on lakes and reservoirs larger than 62,500 square meters and rivers more than 100 meters wide.
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Fuente: RT