Airbus built, Copernicus Sentinel-2C climate satellite heading for launch site (2025)

Bremen, 03 July 2024– After road transport from Airbus in Friedrichshafen to Bremen on 2 July, the Airbus-built Sentinel-2C satellite, the third Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite, is about to be shipped to the European spaceport in French Guiana. The container has been loaded today onto the iconic Canopée, the first sail-assisted cargo ship designed specifically to transport Ariane 6 rocket components from European ports to the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, where it will arrive in approximately two weeks.

"About half of the data used to assess and monitor the impact of climate change on Earth is actually delivered by satellites," said Marc Steckling, Head of Earth Observation, Science and Exploration at Airbus. "The Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites have provided valuable climate information to scientists since 2015 and Sentinel-2C will ensure continuity. Additionally, they have also made monitoring marine litter from space a reality, a significant achievement considering how critical this issue has become."

Data collected by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites is being used to monitor land use and change, soil sealing, land management, agriculture, forestry, natural disasters (floods, forest fires, landslides, volcanic eruptions and erosion) and to support humanitarian aid missions. Environmental monitoring, which provides information on the pollution of lakes and coastal waters, is also part of these activities, as is the monitoring of glaciers, ice and snow.

The Sentinel-2 mission contributes to the management of food security by providing information for the agricultural sector. Copernicus Sentinel-2, with its multispectral instrument, is the first optical Earth observation mission of its kind to include three bands in the "red edge", which provide key information on vegetation conditions. The satellite is designed to provide images that can be used to distinguish between different crop types, as well as data on numerous plant indices such as leaf area index, leaf chlorophyll content and leaf water content - all of which are essential for accurately monitoring plant growth.

Sentinel-2C, like its predecessors Sentinel-2A and -2B, will provide "colour vision" for Copernicus, the Earth Observation component of the EU Space Programme, generating optical images from the visible to the shortwave infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. From an altitude of 786 kilometres, the 1.1 tonne 'C' satellite will provide continuous imaging in 13 spectral bands with resolutions of 10, 20 or 60 metres and a uniquely large swath width of 290 kilometres. The optical design of the MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI) has been optimised to provide state-of-the-art image data quality over its very wide field of view, to be transmitted via Airbus' laser-based SpaceDataHighway (EDRS).

The telescope structure and mirrors are made of Silicon Carbide, a material pioneered by Airbus to provide very high optical stability and minimise thermo-elastic deformation, resulting in excellent geometric image quality. This is unprecedented in this category of optical imagers. Each Sentinel-2 satellite collects 1.5 terabytes per day after on-board compression.

The Sentinel-2 mission is based on a constellation of two identical satellites, Sentinel-2A (launched in 2015) and Sentinel-2B (launched in 2017), flying in the same orbit but 180° apart to optimise coverage and revisit time. The satellites orbit the Earth every 100 minutes, covering all land surfaces, large islands, inland and coastal waters every five days. Once in orbit, Sentinel-2C will replace its predecessor, Sentinel-2A, while Sentinel-2D will later replace Sentinel-2B to ensure continuity of data beyond 2035.

The Sentinel-2 mission has been made possible through close cooperation among the European Commission, ESA, industry, service providers and data users. Some 60 companies have been involved in its development, led by Airbus Defence and Space in Germany.

Airbus has played a key role in building the satellites and instruments for Copernicus since the programme began in 1998, contributing its environmental expertise to all six Sentinel missions and the new next-generation Copernicus satellites: CRISTAL, LSTM and ROSE-L.

The Sentinel satellites are part of Copernicus, the Earth Observation component of the EU Space Programme, managed by the European Commission (EC) in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA). The Copernicus Sentinels provide remote sensing data of the Earth, providing key operational services related to the environment and security.

Pre-launch activities will be carried out in Kourou to prepare Copernicus Sentinel-2C for launch on the final Vega rocket operated by Arianespace in September.

Airbus built, Copernicus Sentinel-2C climate satellite heading for launch site (1)

Copernicus Sentinel-2C before loading into its container - Copyright Airbus

@AirbusSpace @CopernicusEU @DEFIS_EU @ESA_EO @Arianespace #EUSpace #SpaceMatters #sustainability #climate #Sentinel2

Airbus built, Copernicus Sentinel-2C climate satellite heading for launch site (2025)

FAQs

When did the Sentinel satellite launch? ›

The twin satellites Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B were respectively launched on 3 April 2014 and on 25 April 2016.

What was the name of the first satellite the US finally successfully launched on January 31 1958? ›

Explorer 1 was the first satellite launched by the United States when it was sent into space on January 31, 1958.

What is a Sentinel satellite used for? ›

As well as monitoring plant growth, Sentinel-2 can be used to map changes in land cover and to monitor the world's forests. It also provides information on pollution in lakes and coastal waters. Images of floods, volcanic eruptions and landslides contribute to disaster mapping and help humanitarian relief efforts.

How many Sentinel-2 satellites are there? ›

The Sentinel-2 mission consists of two identical satellites, Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-2B, that were launched using the European VEGA launcher. Each of these satellites weighs approximately 1.2 tonnes. The satellite lifespan is 7.25 years, which includes a 3 month in-orbit commissioning phase.

What was the first satellite failure in the US? ›

Error message. Could not retrieve the oEmbed resource. The first U.S. satellite launch effort failed spectacularly when its Vanguard rocket exploded during liftoff on December 6, 1957.

Which satellite is launched by America? ›

Explorer 1 became the first successfully launched satellite by the United States when it was sent to space on January 31, 1958. A quick response to the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik 1, Explorer 1's success marked the beginning of the U.S. Space Age.

How far above Earth was Explorer 1? ›

On Jan. 31, 1958, the United States sent Explorer 1, its first satellite, into space. The spacecraft was small enough to be held triumphantly overhead. It orbited Earth from as far as 1,594 miles (2,565 km) above, and made the first U.S. scientific discovery in space.

How many Sentinel-1 satellites are there? ›

The Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission is designed as a two-satellite constellation. Each satellite carries an advanced radar instrument to provide an all-weather, day-and-night supply of imagery of Earth's surface. The mission ended for Sentinel-1B in 2022.

When was Sentinel introduced? ›

Overview. The first satellite, Sentinel-1A, launched on 3 April 2014, and Sentinel-1B was launched on 25 April 2016.

When was Sentinel-3 launched? ›

16 February 2016

When was Sentinel 5 launched? ›

Launch. The satellite was launched by Eurockot Launch Services onboard Rokot. The launch was originally planned for late 2014, but after multiple postponements, was launched on 13 October 2017 at 09:27 UTC from Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 133. Sentinel-5P successfully reached its final orbit 79 minutes after lift-off.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Otha Schamberger

Last Updated:

Views: 6146

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (75 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Otha Schamberger

Birthday: 1999-08-15

Address: Suite 490 606 Hammes Ferry, Carterhaven, IL 62290

Phone: +8557035444877

Job: Forward IT Agent

Hobby: Fishing, Flying, Jewelry making, Digital arts, Sand art, Parkour, tabletop games

Introduction: My name is Otha Schamberger, I am a vast, good, healthy, cheerful, energetic, gorgeous, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.