Sentinel-6B launched

Recently, many satellites designed for weather and climate observation have been launched to space. The latest one is Sentinel-6B, which lifted off at 07:21 Finnish time (06:21 CET) aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from California.

This is a joint research satellite of the European Union’s Copernicus programme, involving the EU, ESA, EUMETSAT, CNES, NASA, and NOAA. Its primary task is to measure sea-surface height with a highly precise radar altimeter.

Sentinel-6B continues the work of Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, launched in 2020, which in turn extended observations that began in the 1990s. These measurements form the world’s most important reference dataset for tracking sea-level rise - critical for climate research and policy, as well as for the future of the millions of people living in coastal areas.

The satellite also supports real-time marine weather forecasting by measuring significant wave height and wind speed. Accordingly, operational control of the satellite will soon be transferred to the European weather satellite organisation EUMETSAT.