The radar satellite, which monitors the topography of surface waters and oceans, was designed to provide scientists with an unprecedented view of the waters that cover 70 percent of the planet’s surface, and to provide new insights into the mechanisms and consequences of climate change.
The Falcon 9 rocket, owned and operated by the American billionaire Elon Musk, SpaceX, is scheduled to launch before dawn on Thursday from the US Space Force Vandenberg base, about 170 kilometers northwest of Los Angeles, to carry the moon. industry into orbit.
If all goes according to plans, the satellite will provide research data within a few months.
The satellite, which was developed over nearly 20 years, uses technology that scientists say is capable of collecting measurements of the length and surface of oceans, lakes, water reserves, and rivers, with high-resolution detail covering 90 percent of the world.
The researchers also said the data, which will be collected by the Planetary Radar Survey at least twice every 21 days, will enhance understanding of ocean circulation patterns, support climate projections and help manage the scarce freshwater supply in regions suffering from drought.
For his part, the scientist, Ben Hamlington, who also heads a team concerned with studying sea level change at NASA, confirmed: “It is the first mission that monitors almost all the water on the surface of the planet.”
One of the mission’s most important tasks is to explore how the oceans naturally absorb heat and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, leading to global moderation and climate change.