Engineers are working to prepare the mission to begin measuring the height of water on over 90 percent of Earth's surface.
The satellite needs to unfold its mast and antenna panels after it deploys the solar panel array that powers it. The satellite is monitored and controlled using data from the mission, but it also has cameras to record the action.
It took about 10 minutes for the solar array to deploy.
The antennas were successfully deployed over a four day period. The two cameras focused on the KaRIn antennas were unable to capture the mast being fully deployed, but they were able to capture the locking in of the mast.
The two antennas at either end of the mast are connected to the KaRIn instrument. The measurement of the height of water in Earth's freshwater bodies and ocean will be captured by KaRIn. It will collect data on lakes larger than 15 acres, as well as rivers larger than 100 meters across.
KaRIn will do this by bouncing radar waves off the surface of water on Earth and receiving the signals with both of those antennas, collecting data along a swath that's 30 miles wide on either side of the satellite
In order to address some of the most pressing climate questions of our time and help communities prepare for a warming world, researchers and decision-makers will be helped by the data provided by the research organization.
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