NORAD 27424
Aqua
About this satellite
Aqua is a NASA Earth-observing satellite launched in May 2002 to study Earth's water cycle: precipitation, evaporation, clouds, sea ice and snow cover.
- Operator
- NASA
- Owner
- United States
- Purpose
- Study of Earth's water cycle
- Launched
- 4 May 2002
- Launch vehicle
- Delta II
- Status
- Operational
- International designator
- 2002-022A
- Altitude
- 685 km to 687 km (perigee to apogee)
- Orbital period
- 98.5 minutes (14.6 orbits a day)
- Inclination
- 98.5°
- Mass
- 3,117 kg at launch
- Size
- 4.8 × 16.7 × 8.0 m
Orbit and catalogue data: CelesTrak SATCAT, updated 2026-10-18.