About TOPEX/Poseidon

Jointly developed by NASA and CNES, the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite was launched on August 10, 1992 and was decommissioned on January 18, 2006, with the primary objective of observing and understanding the global ocean circulation. TOPEX/Poseidon carried two radar altimeters (TOPEX and Poseidon) and precise orbit determination systems, including the CNES DORIS (Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite) system.
The TOPEX altimeter or NRA (206 kg including redundancy, 237 W) operating simultaneously at 13.6 GHz (Ku-band) and 5.3 GHz (C-band) was provided by NASA. It was the primary sensor on the TOPEX/Poseidon mission. Measurements taken at both frequencies were combined to provide satellite altitude above sea level (satellite range), wind speed, significant wave height and ionospheric correction.
For more information on the TOPEX-Poseidon mission, you can visit the AVISO website.

TOPEX/Poseidon applications

• TOPEX/Poseidon laid the foundation for long-term ocean observations from space
• It provided the world's ocean topography or sea surface height every ten days with an accuracy of 2-3 centimeters

Disclaimer

To access TOPEX/Poseidon data, please use your AVISO credentials. If you don't have a "MY AVISO" account, please register [here]. AVISO credentials (login = email address and password) will be sent by email.