Sentinel-6B satellite
Why in news?
- The Sentinel-6B ocean monitoring satellite was successfully launched on November 17, 2025, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
- The mission is a collaboration of European and US agencies including ESA, EUMETSAT, NASA, NOAA, and CNES, with the satellite now controlled by ESA’s mission control in Germany.
Features of Sentinel-6B
- Carries the latest radar altimetry technology for precise measurements of sea surface height.
- Equipped with Poseidon-4 radar altimeter developed by Thales Alenia Space, measuring ocean topography every 10 days with sub-centimeter accuracy.
- Includes an advanced microwave radiometer to correct for atmospheric water vapor effects on radar measurement accuracy.
- Maps up to 95% of Earth's ice-free ocean every 10 days.
- Capable of measuring sea level changes with precision of about one inch (2.5 cm).
- Joint US-European mission under the Copernicus climate program.
- Expected operational lifespan of about 5.5 years.
Objectives of Sentinel-6B
- Provide precise, continuous measurements of global sea surface height to monitor and better understand sea-level rise.
- Support ocean forecasting systems and environmental monitoring.
- Extend the unique, over 30-year-long altimetry record essential to climate science.
- Improve data on ocean waves, winds, and currents to aid climate policy and coastal protection.
