• 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. 

• 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.

• 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.

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