Sentinel-6B, in orbit to measure the pulse of the oceans

On the 17th, the Earth observation satellite Sentinel-6B of the Copernicus program was launched from California (USA) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This satellite is part of a pair of Sentinels dedicated to measuring global sea levels and monitoring the oceans, as part of the international effort to track and mitigate the effects of climate change.

GMV is responsible for the development and integration of the control center at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), supporting mission monitoring during the launch and early orbit phase. Additionally, GMV has contributed to the development of the orbital control system and provided support for the operations required during the satellite’s launch.

Within the framework of this mission, GMV has also developed and deployed the orbital control system and the mission planning system needed for the commissioning phase and has developed the control center used to take over routine mission operations, deployed at the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).

GMV’s involvement is completed with the provision of the Precise Orbit Determination (POD) service, essential for processing and exploiting the data generated by the instruments on board the mission.

The data provided by Sentinel-6 are aimed at protecting coastal areas, infrastructure planning, early warning of natural hazards, improving weather models, and enhancing our understanding of global oceanic and climatic dynamics.

The satellite pair will provide service at least until 2030 and is the result of cooperation between the European Commission, ESA, NASA, EUMETSAT and NOAA, with the support of CNES. This mission carries the dual designation Sentinel-6/Jason-CS, as it continues the legacy of the Jason missions, which since the 1990s have measured mean sea level, wave height and ocean currents, contributing to global climate monitoring.