Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite
The Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite was a NASA Small Explorer observatory led scientifically by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Its submillimetre receiver measured water, molecular oxygen, atomic carbon, and carbon-monoxide isotopes in interstellar clouds to investigate their chemistry, cooling, and collapse into new stars and planets.
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Identity
- Aliases
- SWAS
- Name
- Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite
- Status
- completed
Details
- Astronauts
- -
- Description
- The Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite was a NASA Small Explorer observatory led scientifically by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Its submillimetre receiver measured water, molecular oxygen, atomic carbon, and carbon-monoxide isotopes in interstellar clouds to investigate their chemistry, cooling, and collapse into new stars and planets.
- Destination
- Near-circular low Earth orbit at approximately 635–650 km altitude (about 70° inclination)
- End Date
- 2004-07-21
- Launch Site
- Outcome
- SWAS operated far beyond its planned two-year mission and mapped dozens of molecular-cloud regions. It produced precise measurements of interstellar water vapour, established stringent limits on molecular oxygen in those clouds, and completed science observations on July 21, 2004 with its data preserved in NASA's LAMBDA archive.
- Programs
- Start Date
- 1998-12-05
- Vehicle Families
Links
- Official Url
- https://science.nasa.gov/mission/swas
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- July 18, 2026 at 16:54:08 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 21, 2026 at 10:33:27 UTC
- Image
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Other
- Affiliations
- Search Name
- Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite SWAS
- Space Stations
- -
- Vehicles