Jason-3 satellite to track rising sea levels, global weather

After several delays throughout 2015, the Jason-3 satellite is now ready to take its place as the latest instrument deployed to track the changing surface height of Earth’s oceans. A joint effort between NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the European EUMETSAT and the French CNES organizations, Jason-3 will use the high-precision Poseidon-3B radar altimeter to observe the topography and the height of our planet’s ice-free oceans over time. SpaceX will try again to land the Falcon 9’s first stage on one of the NewSpace firm’s Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ships for the launch of Jason 3. Photo Credit: SpaceX The topography of the ocean surface - that is, its own hills and valleys - affects the way the waters transfer heat around the planet. More

(Source: Space Flight Insider - Jan 17)