SWAS
Full Name: Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite
Phase: Past
Launch Date: December 06, 1998
Launched into low Earth orbit in December 1998, the Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS) was a two-year NASA mission to enhance understanding of star formation by studying the composition of interstellar clouds and the means by which they collapse.
SWAS studies the chemical composition, energy balance and structure of interstellar clouds and the processes that lead to the formation of stars and planets. It has detected water in almost every dust cloud in space that it has observed, a key indicator in the cooling process that contributes to star formation.
SWAS provided the most precise measurements of water vapor in interstellar clouds and established the tightest limits on the maximum amount of molecular oxygen that might be in these clouds.