Since its launch in December 2022, NASA’s SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) satellite has been transforming how we observe our planet’s water – capturing unprecedented data on rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and oceans from space.
For the first time in history, scientists have tracked river flood waves from orbit – from the Yellowstone to the Colorado and Ocmulgee Rivers – enabling communities to better monitor vulnerable river basins, refine flood forecasting models and develop more resilient infrastructure planning strategies. More recently, SWOT even measured the tsunami generated by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, validating the mission’s incredible precision and potential to improve early warning systems worldwide.
The SWOT satellite is helping scientists size up flood waves on waterways like the Yellowstone River, pictured here in October 2024 in Montana. SWOT measures the height of surface waters, including the ocean, and hundreds of thousands of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs in the U.S alone. Credit: NPS
The SWOT satellite caught the leading edge of the tsunami wave (red) that rolled through the Pacific Ocean on July 30. Sea level data, shown in the highlighted swath, is plotted against a NOAA tsunami forecast model in the background. A red star marks the location of the earthquake that spawned the tsunami. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.
At the heart of these breakthroughs lies cutting-edge technology – including Flann’s precision-engineered microwave components, designed to withstand the extreme rigours of spaceflight. Our waveguide Attenuators play a key role in enabling SWOT’s Ka-band radar interferometer (KaRin) to deliver the high-accuracy, high-resolution measurements that make these global observations possible.
Flann is proud to be the company chosen by NASA to produce the custom equipment needed to meet NASA’s demanding accuracy and precision requirements. Our long-standing collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) underscores our shared commitment to advancing scientific discovery and creating a safer, more sustainable future.
From Earth’s rivers to the vast expanse of its oceans, we’re honoured that Flann technology helps bring the planet’s changing waters into sharper focus.
You can find out more about these discoveries via the links below:
US-French SWOT Satellite Measures Tsunami After Massive Quake – NASA SWOT