Sentinel-3A is the third satellite to be launched for Europe’s Copernicus environmental monitoring programme, previously known as the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security programme (GMES). Sentinel-3A is the Copernicus operational wide-swath medium-resolution ocean and land mission designed for providing continuity to optical and altimetry data of the ENVISAT mission and vegetation data of the SPOT (from French «Satellite pour l’Observation de la Terre») mission.Sentinel-3A will globally monitor ocean, ice and land combining a multi-spectral optical mission which provides sea/ land colour data and surface temperatures and an altimetry mission contributing to the determination of the sea surface, ice surface and in-land water topography. In addition, as complementary objectives, the Sentinel-3A mission provides vegetation, fire identification and atmospheric products.ESA is developing six families of Sentinel satellites specifically for Copernicus. Each operational Sentinel system comprises two identical satellite flight models to comply with tight revisit and product delivery latency. The Contracts procuring additional flight models for some of the Sentinel mission have been recently signed, ensuring continuity of Copernicus data for at least two decades. The Sentinel-3 mission is based on a constellation of two identical satellites, the first two called Sentinel-3A and Sentinel-3B, launched separately. Sentinel-3A, the first satellite model of the Sentinel-3 twin-satellite constellation, will be launched on a Russiabuilt Rockot launch vehicle from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia, located at 63°N, 40°E.Copernicus is the most ambitious Earth observation programme to date, conducted jointly by the EC, ESA, EUMETSAT and the member states. Supporting European policies, Copernicus uses accurate and timely data to provide key information services to improve the way the environment is managed, help mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure civil security. In essence, Copernicus will help shape the future of our planet for the benefit of all.
Could it be possible to recover debris from the 2nd stage on the ice floe?
Quote from: input~2 on 02/15/2016 04:42 pmCould it be possible to recover debris from the 2nd stage on the ice floe?Hmmmmm I wonder if we'll see the reentry up here. That's only 80ish miles from Thule.
Launch update: Sentinel3A satellite is now in launch configuration and powered by flight batteries. Green for launch.
First to acquire Sentinel3A tonight is #ESTRACK Kiruna station in Sweden http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Estrack
T-6 hours - network countdown has begun - a synchronised sequence by facilities worldwide to support Sentinel3A launch