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The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite, set to launch on December 15th, is expected to provide unprecedented insights into Earth’s water systems. At the heart of this scientific mission is the Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn), a cutting-edge instrument developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in collaboration with the French space agency Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the UK Space Agency.

KaRIn is designed to capture precise measurements of water height in Earth’s freshwater bodies and oceans. Unlike previous sea level satellites, KaRIn can detect features as small as 13 miles (20 kilometers) across, including currents and eddies. It can also collect data on lakes, reservoirs larger than 15 acres (62,500 square meters), and rivers wider than 330 feet (100 meters) across. This will greatly improve our knowledge of freshwater systems, increasing the number of lakes studied from a few thousand to over a million.

The KaRIn instrument operates at the Ka-band frequency, allowing it to penetrate cloud cover and gather data regardless of weather or time of day. It consists of two antennas located on a 33-foot (10-meter) boom, enabling measurements along a 30-mile (50-kilometer) wide swath on each side of the satellite. With KaRIn, researchers will be able to directly observe what is happening in water bodies, eliminating the need for extrapolating data from specific locations or narrow satellite tracks.

To ensure accuracy, engineers overcame multiple technical challenges in developing KaRIn. They needed to ensure the antennas overlapped on the ground and accounted for shifts in the satellite’s position. In addition, they had to design the instrument to transmit radar pulses of 1.5 kilowatts, requiring high-voltage systems. After years of development, the KaRIn instrument is ready to fly and collect terabytes of data.

SWOT, a joint project between NASA and CNES, with contributions from CSA and the UK Space Agency, will launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Along with KaRIn, the satellite will carry other instruments and payloads provided by NASA and CNES. The mission aims to revolutionize our understanding of Earth’s water systems, providing valuable information for climate research and helping communities prepare for a changing climate.

For more information about the SWOT mission, visit the official website: https://swot.jpl.nasa.gov/

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