Satellite Spotlight: Sentinel-6 — Measuring Sea Level from Orbit
Sentinel-6, also known as Jason-CS (Continuity of Service), is a collaborative satellite mission between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), EUMETSAT, and NOAA. It is part of the Copernicus programme, a European Union initiative aimed at providing accurate, timely, and easily accessible informati
What is Sentinel-6?
Sentinel-6, also known as Jason-CS (Continuity of Service), is a collaborative satellite mission between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), EUMETSAT, and NOAA. It is part of the Copernicus programme, a European Union initiative aimed at providing accurate, timely, and easily accessible information to improve the management of the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of climate change, and ensure civil security. Sentinel-6 carries a radar altimeter, which is used to measure sea surface height with remarkable precision, contributing to the long-term record of global sea level rise.
Mission and Purpose
The primary mission of Sentinel-6 is to continue the long-term record of sea level measurements initiated by the TOPEX/Poseidon mission in 1992, followed by the Jason series of satellites. Sentinel-6 aims to monitor changes in sea level, a critical indicator of climate change, and provide data that supports oceanographic and climate research. The satellite's radar altimeter measures the time it takes for a radar pulse to travel from the satellite to the ocean surface and back, allowing scientists to calculate sea surface height with an accuracy of a few centimetres.
Orbital Characteristics
Sentinel-6 operates in a non-sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of approximately 1,336 kilometres. It has an inclination of 66 degrees, allowing it to cover 95% of the Earth's ice-free ocean every 10 days. The satellite completes an orbit around the Earth approximately every 112 minutes. With a NORAD ID of 46984, Sentinel-6 is tracked by numerous ground stations worldwide, ensuring the continuous flow of data for scientific analysis.
Significance and Legacy
Sentinel-6 plays a vital role in climate monitoring by providing high-precision measurements of sea level rise, which is one of the most significant indicators of climate change. The data collected by Sentinel-6 contributes to a better understanding of ocean circulation, climate variability, and the effects of global warming on sea levels. This mission continues the legacy of the Jason series, ensuring the continuity of a dataset that is crucial for climate science and policy-making.
Current Status
Launched on November 21, 2020, Sentinel-6 is currently operational and continues to provide valuable data for climate research. The satellite's data is accessible to scientists and researchers worldwide, supporting a wide range of applications from weather forecasting to climate modelling. For those interested in tracking Sentinel-6, its current position and orbit can be viewed on the Orbital Radar Satellite Library.
