Author Topic: SpaceX F9 : Sentinel-6A Michael Freilich : Vand. : Nov. 21, 2020 (17:17 UTC)  (Read 131169 times)

Offline jacqmans

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Jacques :-)

Offline jacqmans

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Sea-level monitoring satellite in position for liftoff
21/11/2020

With liftoff set for today at 17:17 GMT (18:17 CET, 09:17 PST), the Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite is poised for liftoff – atop a Falcon 9 rocket on the launch pad at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, US.

Once commissioned in orbit, this new Copernicus satellite will take the reins of delivering measurements of sea-surface height to monitor sea-level rise, and more.

With millions of people living in coastal communities around the world, rising seas are at the top of the list of major concerns linked to climate change. Monitoring sea-surface height is critical to understanding the changes taking place so that decision-makers have the evidence to implement appropriate policies to help curb climate change and for authorities to take action to protect vulnerable communities.

Over the last three decades, the French–US Topex-Poseidon and Jason mission series served as reference missions, and in combination with ESA’s earlier ERS and Envisat satellites, as well as today’s CryoSat and Copernicus Sentinel-3, they have shown how sea level has risen about 3.2 mm on average every year. More alarmingly, this rate of rise has been accelerating; over the last few years, the average rate of rise has been 4.8 mm a year.

Copernicus Sentinel-6 is the next radar altimetry reference mission to extend this legacy of sea-surface height measurements until at least 2030.

The mission comprises two identical satellites launched sequentially. Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich today, and Copernicus Sentinel-6B in 2025.

Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich was named in honour of the former head of NASA’s Earth science division. The name change not only recognises Dr Freilich’s outstanding contribution to the mission, but also his lifelong dedication to understanding our planet.

While Sentinel-6 is one of the European Union’s family of Copernicus missions, its implementation is the result of a unique cooperation between ESA, Eumetsat, NASA and NOAA, with contribution from the CNES French space agency.

Since its arrival at the launch site at the end of September, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich has been thoroughly tested, fuelled and joined to the launch adapter, encapsulated in the rocket fairing, and now rolled out to the launch tower and integrated into the rest of the rocket.

With the launch dress rehearsal done and everyone and everything in place, it’s now almost time for liftoff.

Watch the launch live

Tune in to ESA Web TV or ESA Facebook from 17:45 CET (08:45 PST) onwards to watch the launch live.


https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-6/Sea-level_monitoring_satellite_in_position_for_liftoff
Jacques :-)

Offline jacqmans

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Offline jacqmans

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Offline jacqmans

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Offline jacqmans

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Offline jacqmans

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Offline jacqmans

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Offline scr00chy

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Visual mission profile (previous ones can be found here)

Offline ChrisGebhardt

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Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Weather looking good

twitter.com/djsnm/status/1330161670665236483

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No marine layer?

https://twitter.com/jdeshetler/status/1330161962630721540

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None... at this moment.

Offline mrhuggy

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SpaceX mission audio is live.

Online Steven Pietrobon

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SpaceX mission control.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1330184172527345667

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Beautiful morning at Vandenberg ahead of launch of Sentinel 6 on Falcon 9. #SpaceX

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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https://twitter.com/nasa_lsp/status/1330185514788466690

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🟢 The Range is Green 🟢

We are moving closer to #SeeingTheSeas with Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich.

Online Steven Pietrobon

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T-38 minutes. The SpaceX Launch Director should be verifying go for propellant load about now.

Hearing something about CTV's for space station.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Online Chris Bergin

Jack Beyer and Michael Baylor are there. Jack viewing spot livestream:

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Online Steven Pietrobon

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SpaceX coverage starting soon.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Online Steven Pietrobon

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T-35 minutes. First and second stage RP-1 and first stage LOX loading has started.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Online Steven Pietrobon

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SpaceX showing the NASA stream.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

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