PRESENTATION OUTLINE
We used the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite from '92 to '06, when a momentum wheel malfunction forced us to terminate it's operations. This satellite was the first to have a radar altimeter to provide a continuous feed of information on the oceans topography from all around the world back to the mission control center
While a three-year prime mission was planned, TOPEX/Poseidon delivered more than 10 years of data from orbit. In those years, the mission:
Measured sea level with an unprecedented accuracy
Mapped global tides for the first time
Monitored effects of currents on global climate change and produced the first global views of seasonal changes of currents
Monitored large-scale ocean features like Rossby and Kelvin waves and studied such phenomena as El Niño, La Niña, and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation
Mapped basin-wide current variations and provided global data to validate models of ocean circulation
Mapped year-to-year changes in heat stored in the upper ocean
Improved our knowledge of Earth's gravity field
The information retrieved from the TOPEX mission wasn't just for knowledge. It had practical applications, such as providing information to help offshore Industry, it was probably used to spy on other countries as well, and a little more on the science-ish side, to help track hurricanes, El Niño, and eddies, reducing the impact of those natural phenomena by alerting the populace and allowing time for advance preparation. This has undoubtedly saved lives.
Satellites are much different than ships, ROVs or Submarines. A ship can only cover a small place at a time, and in addition, it has a crew to feed (expensive) and pay, (expensive!) it has instruments that will need repair and maintenance (Expensive!) and it needs refueling.(EXPENSIVE!!!)
The follow on missions Jason-1, Jason-2, and Jason-3, have all provided the same type of information to the world. On an every day basis, we use them to predict weather in the forecasts, and measure the ice caps and watch global warming, and all that great sciencey stuff. I love satellites. 😽
