Falcon 9 Brings NASA’s New Marine Imaging Satellite into Space

November 21st – SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is equipped with the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, the latest satellite to monitor global sea level rise, launched from Central California on Saturday.

The takeoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base took place at 12:17 EST. The reusable Falcon 9 rocket landed at about 12:25 EST, and the satellite separated about an hour after takeoff.

NASA said it received the first signal from the deployed satellite.

Sentinel-6 was developed by scientists and engineers from NASA, the European Space Agency, the European Organization for the Exploit of Meteorology, and NOAA.

The satellite contains three devices, including a state-of-the-art altimeter used to monitor sea level topography.

It also records atmospheric data such as temperature and humidity to improve weather forecasts, climate models, and hurricane tracking.

“It will be a new star in the sky, providing the best possible measurements of sea level rise, ocean waves and wind,” ESA’s Sentinel-6 mission scientist Craig Donlon said at a press conference on Friday. Stated.

Just minutes after the lift-off, the main stage cut the engine and the first and second stages separated. After separation, the second stage, carrying the satellite payload, ignited the booster.

Forty-five minutes after the first second-stage engine burned, the second-stage thruster fired again, bringing the payload into a “parked” orbit. A few minutes later, the satellite was released.

According to NASA, “the satellite will begin deploying solar panels approximately 1 hour and 7 minutes after launch, and will make its first contact approximately 25 minutes thereafter.”

The Sentinel-6 provides continuity to NASA’s 30-year effort to track its predecessor’s polar orbit and track sea level rise.

After a year of data analysis to ensure that the satellite and its equipment are functioning optimally, scientists will begin using Sentinel-6 data. All satellite measurements will be published.

The Sentinel-6 will eventually be replaced by the twin satellite Sentinel-6B, which will be launched in 2025.