- Airbus launched the Sentinel-2C satellite for the EU Copernicus Earth monitoring program.
- The launch marks the final use of the Vega rocket before transitioning to Vega C.
September 05 2024 07:06:05 UTC– Airbus has successfully launched the Sentinel-2C satellite, a critical addition to the European Union’s Copernicus Earth observation program. The satellite, launched aboard the final Vega rocket before transitioning to the upgraded Vega C version, will replace Sentinel-2A in the constellation of Earth-monitoring satellites.
high-resolution optical images across 13 spectral bands
Sentinel-2C is designed to provide high-resolution optical images across 13 spectral bands, covering visible to short-wave infrared wavelengths. The satellite, weighing 1.1 tons, features a swath width of 290 kilometers and a resolution ranging from 10 to 60 meters per pixel. This capability is crucial for monitoring land surfaces, water bodies, and coastal areas, supporting a wide range of applications from agriculture to disaster management.
comprehensive coverage of the planet’s landmasses every five days
Operating as part of a two-satellite constellation with Sentinel-2B, Sentinel-2C will orbit the Earth every 100 minutes, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the planet’s landmasses every five days. The data collected will support environmental monitoring, land use management, and humanitarian missions, including tracking natural disasters such as floods, forest fires, and landslides.
Sentinel satellites
The Sentinel satellites, integral to the Copernicus program, are managed by the European Commission in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA). Together, they provide essential data for environmental and security services across the globe.
One of the key features of Copernicus is that the data generated by the Sentinel satellites is free and open to anyone, making it a powerful tool for researchers, businesses, and governments worldwide. The program produces around 12 terabytes of data per day, making it one of the most data-rich scientific endeavors in history.
Copernicus Program
The Copernicus Program is the European Union’s flagship Earth observation initiative, designed to provide 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.
The program is named after Nicolaus Copernicus, the Renaissance-era mathematician and astronomer who formulated a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than the Earth at its center, symbolizing a new way of seeing and understanding the world.