Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
SWOT payload arrives in France for integration with the satellite
June 30 2021 - The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) from NASA in California today delivered the payload for the SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) oceanography satellite to Thales Alenia Space's plant in Cannes, southern France. Thales Alenia Space is industrial prime contractor for this program on behalf of French space agency CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales).
SWOT is a joint mission between CNES and NASA, with contributions from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA). As its name indicates, it will measure the surface level in lakes and waterways, river flow rates and also study ocean dynamics to a very high degree of precision. SWOT features a number of unprecedented technological innovations and is based on a major disruptive technology, namely the wide-swath KaRIn interferometer designed by JPL. CNES and Thales Alenia Space built the complex radio-frequency assembly for this sophisticated instrument.
SWOT paves the way for revolutionary discoveries in oceanography and continental hydrology. It carries on a long-standing partnership between CNES and NASA, with Thales Alenia Space as industrial partner, starting with the 1992 launch of Topex-Poseidon and continuing with the Jason family. SWOT will be the first satellite to make a controlled atmospheric reentry, in compliance with the French Law on Space Operations to deal with the problem of space debris, a law which took effect definitively in 2020.
Designed to study the topography of oceans and bodies of water on land, SWOT has a two-pronged mission covering oceanography and hydrology. The satellite will monitor ocean circulation using its 2D vision and resolution improved 10-fold. It will help us analyze and better understand the effects of water circulation in coastal regions on marine life, ecosystems, water quality and energy transfer, to improve our modeling of the interactions between the atmosphere and oceans. The hydrology part of the mission will assess changes in water storage in wetlands, lakes and reservoirs, as well as river flow rates. SWOT is expected to bring innovative solutions to a sector where the strategic, economic and societal stakes are higher than ever.
The SWOT payload comprises two subassemblies, KaRIn (Ka-band Radar Interferometer), supplied by JPL, and NADIR, a Jason-class altimeter. Thales Alenia Space, the world leader in space-based altimetry, supplied the radio-frequency unit (RFU), a key part of the KaRIn instrument, and the dual-frequency Poseidon altimeter for NADIR. The payload was integrated by JPL in Pasadena, California and will be assembled on the SWOT spacecraft bus at Thales Alenia Space's plant in Cannes in early August. Integration and testing will continue for a year in France, with French and American teams handling these tasks. Launch by a SpaceX Falcon 9 is slated for the end of 2022. This demonstration mission will last about three years.
Commenting on this milestone, Caroline Laurent, Director of Orbital Systems at CNES, said: The integration of this impressive five-meter-tall satellite at Thales Alenia Space reflects the commitment of the French government to new-generation spaceborne altimetry, via CNES and the Investment in the Future Program, along with their international partners and industry. This mission will play a critical role in improving our knowledge of climate change mechanisms and will, for the first time, allow us to take stock of our planet's surface water resources.
Operational space altimetry adventure started back in 1992, and now is setting the world standard for excellence in this field, added Bertrand Denis, head of the Observation and Science domain at Thales Alenia Space in France. We are very proud to have played a major role in this success, alongside CNES and NASA. SWOT will further improve the data provided to the user community, and will play an active role in monitoring our climate, a major challenge for the decades to come.
Copyrights Thales Alenia Space/Imag[IN] - CNES
ABOUT CNES
CNES is the government agency responsible for shaping France's space policy and implementing it in Europe. Its task is to conceive and orbit satellites, invent the space systems of the future and nurture new services to aid us in our daily lives. Founded in 1961, it is the initiator of major space projects, launch vehicles and satellites, and the partner of choice for industry, supporting exports and fuelling innovation. CNES is working in infinite fields of applications in five core areas of focus: Ariane, science, Earth observation, telecommunications and defence. CNES is a key player driving technology research, economic development and industrial policy for the nation. It also fosters scientific collaborations and has forged numerous international partnerships. France, represented by CNES, is the leading contributor to the European Space Agency (ESA), which conducts Europe's space policy on behalf of its 22 member states.
In need of Space - www.cnes.fr
CNES - PRESS CONTACTS
Pascale Bresson Press officier T l. 33 (1) 44 76 75 39 pascale.bresson@cnes.fr
Rapha l Sart Head of Media T l. 33 (1) 44 76 74 51 raphael.sart@cnes.fr
ABOUT THALES ALENIA SPACE
Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources, and explore our S
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
23/10/2025
A deadline is looming for a new carriage deal between Verizon's Fios TV and Nexstar, with both Verizon and the pay TV-backed American Television Alliance bl...
23/10/2025
NEW YORK During a high-profile session at NAB Show New York, new survey data was shared that revealed significant public concern over artificial intelligence (A...
23/10/2025
BELLEVUE, Wash. and NEW YORK Fox Weather has tapped T-Mobile has as its preferred communications provider and announced that all Fox Weather reporters are being...
23/10/2025
PBS and Amazon Web Services have announced the network is using generative AI to provide enhanced search results to viewers on the PBS App and PBS LearningMedia...
23/10/2025
RT is today publishing a statistical summary from the Register of External Activities for the second quarter of 2025.
The RT Register of External Activities ...
23/10/2025
Series three of the award winning, hit comedy entertainment series The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In is back on your screens, celebrating the very best of all t...
23/10/2025
Performances by Michael Flatley, Andy Irvine, Cuckoo's Nest, Foster and Allen and more
Friday 24 October, 8pm on RT One and RT Player
Fleadh Cheoil re...
23/10/2025
The nights grow longer and the shadows get bolder with Vampire The Masquerade: B...
22/10/2025
Prime Video Inks Deal To Present NFL Black Friday Game Worldwide By SVG Staff
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 - 10:06 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story ...
22/10/2025
NBA Tip-Off: ESPN Goes 1080p HDR End-to-End, Flipping HDR Switch on REMI and REM...
22/10/2025
FloSports Empowers Division II, III Athletic Departments With Turnkey Production...
22/10/2025
Wall Street Video Summit Debuts, Bringing Together 200 Financial Enterprise Vide...
22/10/2025
Dueling Pianos: International Chopin Piano Competition Is as Competitive as a Ba...
22/10/2025
In 1995, a young Colombian artist released an album that would change Latin pop ...
22/10/2025
Over the past few months, a photovoltaic system has been installed on a three-he...
22/10/2025
The Orion spacecraft for NASA's Artemis II mission is stacked on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kenn...
22/10/2025
L3Harris' Hybrid SATCOM is resilient by design, offering path diversity that eliminates vulnerabilities by routing data across the best available networks i...
22/10/2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. Organizers of NAB Show New York said they are expecting more than 12,000 registered attendees from about 100 countries along with 260 exhibitor...
22/10/2025
WASHINGTON, D.C The organizers of The 2025 NAB Show New York have announced that they are expecting more than 12,000 registered attendees from about 100 countr...
22/10/2025
Masque Sound, a leading theatrical sound reinforcement, installation and design company, supplied an extensive gear package of professional-grade equipment for ...
22/10/2025
Lightware, a global leader in signal management and AV connectivity solutions, is seeing strong market momentum for the UCX-3x3-TPX-RX20, a compact transmitter-...
22/10/2025
MELVILLE, N.Y. Chyron has released PAINT 10.2, the latest update for its telestration platform, adding support for SMPTE ST 2110 IP workflows, expanding brandin...
22/10/2025
WASHINGTON Run3TV today said NBCUniversal is joining as an investor in the ATSC 3.0 Framework Authority, which develops the Run3TV NextGen TV application platfo...
22/10/2025
ATLANTA swXtch.io will feature two new networking solutions extending the company's reach across more cloud and on-prem workflows at NAB Show New York, set ...
22/10/2025
The Warner Bros. Discoverys HBO Max streaming services has increased prices for all its streaming tiers effectively immediately for new customers. Existing cust...
22/10/2025
LOS ANGELES OpenDrives has signed a new distribution partnership deal with Versatile Distribution Services (VDS) to strengthen its channel and streamline how it...
22/10/2025
WASHINGTON, D.C The organizers of The 2025 NAB Show New York have announced that they are expecting more than 12,000 registered attendees from about 100 countr...
22/10/2025
Samora Pinderhughes Brings Immersive Sound to Berklee's Signature Series The artist and composer, who's worked with Herbie Hancock, Robert Glasper, Co...
22/10/2025
BMI Day at Berklee Celebrates Composer Fil Eisler and Awards Scholarship to Stud...
22/10/2025
October 22nd, 2025 TRIBECA ANNOUNCES STAR-STUDDED LINEUP OF MEMBERSHIP EVENTS F...
22/10/2025
Rohde & Schwarz and TRUMPF cooperate in drone defense Rohde & Schwarz and TRUMPF partner to deliver a comprehensive drone defense solution combining Rohde & S...
22/10/2025
European Broadcaster Upgrades To Grass Valley's NativeIP LDX 135 Cameras And...
22/10/2025
Everyone Gets a Better Deal on Verizon with New FOX One Perk The $15 FOX One streaming service perk is yet another way Verizon continues to add savings for cu...
22/10/2025
First Look Hidden Assets Series 3
Premieres on 9th November 9:30pm on RT One & RT Player
WATCH HERE Promo Link: Hidden Assets Series 3 | RT
The Crimin...
21/10/2025
NAB New York 2025: Although AES Show Is on Its Own, Audio Will Be a Major Part o...
21/10/2025
NAB New York 2025: Business of Broadcast and Media,' Future of Content'...
21/10/2025
SVG All-Stars: Ethan Folz, Senior Director, Digital Operations and Quality of Ex...
21/10/2025
NBA on NBC/Peacock: Livestream Offers Graphic Overlays, Predictive Gaming, Ancil...
21/10/2025
NBA on NBC/Peacock: At the Front Bench With Producer Frank DiGraci and Director ...
21/10/2025
NBA on NBC/Peacock: NBC Sports, NEP Build Ultra-Flexible Production Plan That Se...
21/10/2025
Indigenous storytelling has been at the heart of the work of the Sundance Instit...
21/10/2025
Top L-R: Mysterious Skin, American Dream Second Row L-R: Little Miss Sunshine, D...
21/10/2025
Last week, Spotify and Columbia Records transformed Pier 4 at the Brooklyn Army ...
21/10/2025
SBS Learn's Dharug Ngurra resource empowers classrooms to meaningfully celeb...
21/10/2025
As global operators simplify and evolve their digital platforms, NPS improvement...
21/10/2025
Critical Design Review completion is a key milestone on the path toward Wideband Global Satellite Communications certification for the network in 2026, opening ...
21/10/2025
New Australian undersea training range to implement and improve warfighting tactics, proficiency and safety; enable joint/allied training that contributes to pr...
21/10/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
Facebook 
