Swot first (nadir) ocean altimetry data

First Poseidon-3C Ku waveform (Credit Cnes)
First Poseidon-3C Ku waveform (Credit Cnes)
Swot nadir along-track sea level anomalies (one track) overlaid on gridded altimetry sea level anomalies for the same day (Credit Cnes for Swot, Copernicus Marine Service for the gridded data)
Swot nadir along-track sea level anomalies (one track) overlaid on gridded altimetry sea level anomalies for the same day (Credit Cnes for Swot, Copernicus Marine Service for the gridded data)

The sensors of Swot scientific payload have been switched on one by one during the first weeks of the mission. The first altimeter to be switched on is the nadir altimeter, Poseidon-3C, following the precise orbit payload (Doris and GPS sensors). The ground segment has begun processing the nadir altimetry, microwave radiometer and orbit data, providing with the first sea surface heights from Swot. Comparisons with the multi-mission data (including in particular Jason-3, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, Saral, etc.) show the very good quality of this classical altimeter and of the processing.