science help?

Question

I have to do a project for science(not a science fair project) and everyone got a diffrent assignment. Mine was to do it on the topex/poseidon, but another person got the TOPEX/poseidon satellite. Whenever I search topex/poseidon I get a satellite picture and I don't think thats what my project is on. Is the topex/poseidon a space shuttle and a satellite and I'm doing the shuttle or what? HELP!

Answer 1

Wow, I can't figure it out either. Sorry to disapoint, but I hope you get a good answer.

Answer 2

TOPEX/poseidon is a satellite that is still in orbit about our own earth. There is no difference between the two. Chances are it was just a typo or a mistake. Were they both assigned by the same teacher? There may have been a break down in communication somewhere if that's the case. Either way, no, TOPEX/poseidon is a joint project between NASA and CNES. It was launched on Aug 10th 1992 with an initial mission plan of only 3 years. It's now been functional for about 15 years. It continues to circle the earth observing atmospheric conditions, ocean depths, climate, and ocean currents. I hope this helps, I am almost certain that this is the mission you were supposed to be writing about. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Yes, your are going to have to ask your teacher for clarification. Otherwise I would ignore the now dead Poseidon (died in 2005) and concentrate in the continuation of the series with the Jason Satellites, Because TOPEX is the project name and Poseidon was only the first satellite. Your teacher can't fault you if you decided he wanted you to concentrate on the current project and not the dead satellite. In fact he might has meant TOPEX/Jason for you and TOPEX/Poseidon for the other student.

Jason 1 was launched in 2001 and is still in operation, Jason 2 is scheduled to be launched in June 2008. Since the entire TOPEX project studies ocean levels AND is used to study hurricanes and typoons then those 3 satellites are the only part of the TOPEX program (except of course for the general control stations in France and the US, which control many satellites).

TOPEX/Poseidon = topex/poseidon. Poseidon could be the ship, the god or the satellite, but not with the word TOPEX in it.

According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOPEX/Poseidon
"It was a joint project between the CNES (France) and NASA (United States) space agencies and was named after the ocean TOPography EXperiment and the Greek god Poseidon....

TOPEX: The NASA built Nadir pointing Radar Altimeter using C band (5.3 GHz) and Ku band (13.6 GHz) for measuring height above sea surface.

Poseidon: The CNES built solid state Nadir pointing Radar Altimeter using Ku band (13.65 GHz).

In addition to the altimeters, the TOPEX Microwave Radiometer (TMR) operating at 18, 21, and 37 GHz was used to correct for atmospheric wet path delay.

The successor of TOPEX/Poseidon is Jason 1."

According to Farlex Free Dictionary: http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/TOPEX
"Acronym Definition
TOPEX Ocean Topography Experiment
TOPEX The Ocean Topography Experiment POSEIDON
TOPEX Topography Experiment
TOPEX Topology Ocean Experiment
TOPEX Typhoon Operational Experiment "

And the TOPEX Ocean Topography Experiment was continued by the Jason 1 and Jason 1 Satellites.
Jason 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_1
Jason 1: http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/jason-fact-sheet.html
Jason 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason-2
Jason 2: http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/

TOPEX is tied to Poseidon like the scuba air tank is tied to the mouth piece. You can't get one without the other. Poseidon was the start of the program. So if you have to do this report by tomorrow then I would do the report on its successor the Jason Satellites.

TOPEX by itself (excluding the various companies named Topex) is only The Ocean Topography Experiment and that is continuing with Jason. Poseidon died on October 2005, so it had to be replaced to continue the TOPEX study and that was done by the two Jason Satellites who are currently on the job.

According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOPEX/Poseidon
"It stopped providing science data in October 2005, after a momentum wheel malfunctioned and was turned off on January 18, 2006."

Answer 4

Launched in 1992, TOPEX/Poseidon is a joint venture between CNES and NASA to map ocean surface topography.

Apparently you should do your report on the project of mapping ocean surface topography, not the satellite itself.

Answer 5

I would think it is the satellite. This would be a good place to start:

Answer 6

Ask your teacher for clarification.