SWOT Is ‘GO’ for Launch

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite atop, stands poised for liftoff at Space Launch Complex-4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite atop, stands poised for liftoff at Space Launch Complex-4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Dec. 16, 2022. Photo credit: NASA

NASA Launch Director Tim Dunn has just given the final “go” for launch of the international Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite!

In the next few moments, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s nine Merlin engines will roar to life, sending SWOT on the start of its journey to survey nearly all water on Earth’s surface.