Swot is fully assembled and ready to begin mechanical tests on December 1st, 2021. The tests are conducted under the authority of Thales Alenia Space and the supervision of experts from Cnes, Nasa and JPL.

Satellite mechanical testing begins with sine wave vibration testing, simulating the levels Swot will encounter during the launch phase, followed late December by launch acoustic environment testing. The tests should be completed by December 24th.

Compatibility tests at the launch vehicle interface are scheduled for early January with Space X teams coming to the Cannes site.

For these tests, the satellite is placed in a configuration as close as possible to the launch configuration, including solar panels, antennas and thermal protections.