ESA - Sentinel-6

ESA title

The mission

With global mean sea level rising because of climate change, Copernicus Sentinel-6 is the next radar altimetry reference mission to extend the legacy of sea-surface height measurements until at least 2030. The satellite carries a Poseidon-4 radar altimeter and a microwave radiometer.

The launch

Date: 21 November 2020
Site: Vandenberg, California, US
Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

3.2 mm yearly sea-level rise
1336 km orbit altitude
66° orbit inclination
95% ocean measured

Sentinel-6

Sea-surface temperature January to mid-May 2023

Our oceans are in hot water

17/05/2023 9318 views 107 likes

Copernicus Sentinel-2 takes us over the Tarawa Atoll in the Republic of Kiribati – a remote Pacific nation threatened by rising seas.

Sentinel-6 returning most precise data ever on sea level

29/11/2021 7659 views 118 likes

Copernicus Sentinel-6 radar altimeter

New sea-level monitoring satellite goes live

21/06/2021 11179 views 99 likes

Scientific publications link icon

Remote Sensing of Environment

Copernicus Sentinel-6: Enhanced continuity of satellite sea level measurements

Tracking sea-level change

Sentinel-6 passes in-orbit tests with flying colours

08/02/2021 6076 views 70 likes

Copernicus Sentinel-6 over the Andes

Galileo enhancing Sentinel-6’s sea level monitoring mission

15/12/2020 3594 views 43 likes

More items

Applications
Image gallery
Open
Applications
Video gallery
Open
Applications
Downloads
Open

Discover Sentinel-6

Sentinel-6 in orbit

Charting sea level

2394 views 3 likes

A bleak prospect

A rising threat

1616 views 7 likes

Loss of land ice is causing sea levels to rise

Why is sea level rising?

7232 views 34 likes

Six key facts about Copernicus Sentinel-6

Satellite and instruments

1996 views 7 likes

Copernicus Sentinel-6 radar altimeter

How it works

3287 views 12 likes

Artist's view of Sentinel-6 during Falcon 9 fairing release

Launch

3917 views 3 likes

Copernicus Sentinel-6 builds on heritage

Facts and figures

2511 views 8 likes

Ice lost from ice sheets contributes to sea-level rise

Team talk: 10 things about Copernicus Sentinel-6

4754 views 35 likes

Copernicus Sentinel-6 in partnership

In partnership

1056 views 0 likes

Follow us

Subscribe @ESA_EO @esa_earth

Recommended

Observing the Earth

Copernicus

Copernicus

Copernicus logo_no tagline

Eumetsat

NOAA Center for Satellite Applications and Research icon

Airbus–Space