The TOPEX/POSEIDON satellite


General Information
Specialized data base
Datasets in the FASTEX Central Archive 		Data selection page

General Information

  • Description
    The TOPEX/POSEIDON mission is sponsored by NASA(USA) and CNES(France).
    The orbital inclination carries the spacecraft to 66 degrees north and south lat itude. The widest spacing between tracks, at the equator, is 315 km.
  • Instruments

    Instrument       Measurement/Purpose                    Frequency Accuracy
---------------  --------------------------------------  -------  -----------
Dual-Frequency   Height of satellite above the sea,      13.6GHz  2.4 cm
TOPEX Altimeter  wind speed, wave height, ionospheric             altitude
                 correction

TOPEX microwave  Total water vapor along the path viewed 18.0 GHz 0.2-g/cm2
Radiometer       by the altimeter; this mesure corrects  21.0 GHz water-vapor
                 altimeter data for pulse delay due to   37.0 GHz density
                 water vapor                                      (equivalent
                                                                  to 1.2 cm)
Single-Frequency Heigh of satellite above the sea, wind  13.65GHz 2.5 cm
POSEIDON         speed, wave height                               altitude
Altimeter


    • Specialized data base :

  • the AVISO program for the TOPEX-POSEIDON data


    • Data sets in the FASTEX Central Archive:

  • TOPEX/POSEIDON Wind/Wave product:
    Significant wave height and Average wind speed (5 km x 5 km) along the path viewed by the altimeter.
    • Updated: 14 Jun 1999
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