JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo

Topex / Poseidon

Topex / Poseidon

An Earth satellite designed to measure ocean surface topography with unprecedented accuracy, Topex/Poseidon spent 13-plus years in orbit improving understanding of ocean circulation and its impact on global climate.

Visit Mission Website

Mission Statistics

Launch Date

Aug. 10, 1992

Type

Orbiter

Target

Earth

Status

Past

About the mission

An Earth satellite designed to measure ocean surface topography with unprecedented accuracy, Topex/Poseidon spent 13-plus years in orbit improving understanding of ocean circulation and its impact on global climate. In addition to producing the first global views of seasonal current changes, it enabled scientists to forecast and better understand the El Nino phenomenon of the late 1990s.

Topex/Poseidon was a joint project between NASA and France's National Center for Space Studies, or CNES.

Instruments

  • Radar altimeter
  • Microwave radiometer
  • Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA)
  • Global Positioning System Demonstration Receiver (GPSDR)
  • Doppler Orbitography Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite (DORIS)
  • Single-Frequency Poseidon Altimeter (SSALT)

More about Earth, Climate Change and Weather

Image .

London, England Parks

News .

NASA Measures Underground Water Flowing From Sierra to Central Valley

News .

NASA Scientists and Satellites Make Sense of Earth’s Subtle Motions

Image .

Potosi, Bolivia

Image .

California Atmospheric River Storms Captured by NASA's AIRS

News .

NASA Space Missions Pinpoint Sources of CO2 Emissions on Earth

News .

NASA Space Missions Pinpoint Sources of CO2 Emissions on Earth

News .

Watch the Latest Water Satellite Unfold Itself in Space

Image .

Eriskay Island, Scotland

News .

NASA Awards Launch Services Contract for Sentinel-6B Mission

› Mission Website
› Press Kit
› Fact Sheet
› Ocean Surface Topography Website
› Topex/Poseidon Information on National Space Science Data Center

Explore Other Missions

AcrimSat

Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer

CloudSat

Deep Space Atomic Clock

ASTER

Atmospheric Infrared Sounder

Airborne Snow Observatory

Aquarius

AVIRIS-NG

ECOSTRESS

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors
Careers
Internships
The JPL Story
JPL Achievements
Documentary Series
Annual Reports
Missions
Current
Past
Future
All
News
All
Earth
Solar System
Stars and Galaxies
Subscribe to JPL News
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Apps
Visions of the Future
Slice of History
Robotics at JPL
Events
Lecture Series
Team Competitions
Speakers Bureau
Calendar
Visit
Public Tours
Virtual Tour
Directions and Maps
Topics
JPL Life
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Exoplanets
Stars and Galaxies
Robotics
More
Asteroid Watch
NASA's Eyes Visualizations
Universe - Internal Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisitions JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisitions
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Managers: Veronica McGregor, Randal Jackson
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Naomi Hartono
CL#: 21-0018