Industry Related News: United States – January, 2022:
The Surface Water and Ocean Topography spacecraft, or SWOT, is one of NASA’s latest attempts to garner a better understanding of our planet and the potential dangers of climate change. Scheduled to launch in November of 2022, the satellite is a collaboration between NASA and its French counterpart, CNES. Along with additional help from Canada and the UK, this spacecraft is designed to collect data regarding Earth’s water. From salt water oceans to fresh water rivers, and everything in between, the satellite will be taking careful measurements of all bodies of water. The hope is that this will result in a better understanding of climate change (through information on the volume and location of water), which could greatly benefit the environment, as well as humanity as a whole. As is typical with most missions of this caliber, NASA has once again put their vacuum testing chamber to use.
SWOT is currently scheduled to enter a long period of evaluations, including extensive testing in a vacuum testing chamber. This chamber is designed to replicate the temperature swings and harsh environment of space, ensuring that the craft can perform in that type of environment. These environments could not be recreated on Earth without this powerful machine. This is the most important stage of testing, as it ensures that SWOT will not fail once it reaches its expected altitude. Without a vacuum testing chamber, the likelihood of success for SWOT’s launch would be entirely uncertain.
Other testing includes time on a “shake table”, which mirrors launch conditions, including harsh vibrations and intense rattling. Similarly, the craft will be tested within a chamber that mimics the high-decibels of launch. After these initial tests are completed, the final test ensures that the satellite can withstand electromagnetic interference – and remain in contact with the teams at NASA once it heads into orbit.
With launch scheduled for just under a year from now, the team is focused on finishing preparation and conducting proper testing. This is the team’s current priority, with around six months set aside for testing through many different methods – including both an acoustic and a vacuum testing chamber. The satellite, clocking in around 2,000kg, will be placed into near-polar orbit upon launch. It will remain in orbit for around three years, and scientists at NASA are eager to see what information the satellite will reveal.
nasa.gov, “One Year From Launch: US-European Satellite to Track World’s Water“ nasa.gov, Accessed 13 December 2021.
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