Overview
- Liftoff is targeted for 12:21 a.m. EST on Nov. 17 from Vandenberg Space Force Base aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, with NASA’s live coverage starting at 11:30 p.m. EST on Nov. 16 across NASA+ and other platforms.
- The satellite is the second in the Copernicus Sentinel‑6/Jason‑CS series, a collaboration among NASA, ESA, EUMETSAT, and NOAA with European Commission funding and CNES technical support.
- Using radar altimetry and microwave radiometry, the mission will measure sea‑surface height, significant wave height, and global wind speeds, covering about 90% of Earth’s ocean for use in weather and hurricane forecasting, maritime operations, and national security planning.
- For roughly one year after launch, Sentinel‑6B will fly in tandem with Sentinel‑6 Michael Freilich to cross‑calibrate data before taking over the primary record, with its predecessor shifting orbit for additional applications such as seafloor mapping support.
- The UK contributed the spacecraft’s hydrazine propulsion system, developed and tested by Airbus Defence and Space UK, with eight thrusters to maintain the 1.3‑ton satellite’s orbit.