Overview
- The rocket lifted off from Kourou on November 4, with satellite separation occurring about 33 minutes 51 seconds after launch as the spacecraft heads to a sun-synchronous orbit near 693 km.
- Sentinel-1D, built by Thales Alenia Space for the EU’s Copernicus programme, carries synthetic‑aperture radar for day‑night, all‑weather imaging.
- The satellite is designed for roughly seven and a half years of service, joining Sentinel‑1C and taking over duties from the aging Sentinel‑1A.
- This marks Ariane 6’s fourth mission since its 2024 debut and its third commercial flight this year.
- Arianespace now plans four Ariane 6 launches in 2025, with a Galileo mission slated for December and future flights booked for Amazon’s Kuiper constellation.