Sentinel 6B data will continue to record sea surface elevation for decades, helping to improve coastal planning, protect critical infrastructure, and predict weather forecasts.
Launched Nov. 17, Sentinel 6B is the latest in a series of spacecraft that NASA and its partners have used to measure sea levels since 1992. Its data has helped meteorologists improve hurricane forecasts and allowed managers to protect infrastructure and improve planning in coastal communities.
Now that it has been launched, Sentinel 6B will undergo a process of cross-calibrating data with its predecessor, Michael Freilich’s Sentinel 6, to provide important information about Earth’s oceans.
Sentinel 6B is the second of two spacecraft part of the Sentinel 6/Jason CS (Continuity of Service) mission, which is a joint effort between NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The European Commission provided financial support and the French space agency CNES (Centre National d’Études Spatiales) provided technical expertise.
Here are six facts you should know about Sentinel 6B and the wider Copernicus Sentinel 6/Jason CS mission:
1. Sentinel 6B will provide data on about 90% of Earth’s oceans, directly benefiting humanity.
Sentinel 6B will contribute to the sea level measurement data set from space for several decades. This data is key to improving public safety, urban planning, and protecting commercial and defense interests.
Developed by NASA and its partners as a ground-breaking initiative, this dataset allows users in government, industry and the research community to better understand how sea level changes over time. Combined with information from other NASA satellites, data from the Copernicus Sentinel 6/Jason CS mission are vital for tracking the movement of heat and energy through the Earth’s seas and atmosphere, and for monitoring ocean features such as currents and eddies. The measurements are made by a radar altimeter that measures sea level in nearly all of Earth’s oceans, providing large-scale current information that can aid in commercial and marine navigation, search and rescue operations, and tracking debris and pollution in marine disasters.
2. Data from the Copernicus Sentinel 6/Jason CS mission help NASA prepare for the next phase of space exploration.
The better we understand Earth, the better NASA will be able to fulfill its mission to explore the universe. Data from the Copernicus Sentinel 6/Jason CS mission are being used to improve the Goddard Earth Observing System’s atmospheric forecast models, which NASA’s Safety Engineering Center uses to plan for safer returns for astronauts returning from Artemis missions.
In addition, changes in Earth’s oceans observed from satellites can have measurable effects beyond our planet. For example, while the Moon affects ocean tides on Earth, changes in those tides may also have a small effect on the Moon. Copernicus Sentinel 6/Jason CS data can help to better understand this relationship, and this knowledge can contribute to future lunar exploration missions.
3. The Copernicus Sentinel 6/Jason CS mission helps the United States respond to challenges by providing actionable information to decision makers.
The data collected by this mission helps city planners and state and local governments make informed decisions about protecting coastal infrastructure, real estate and energy production facilities. The sea level data obtained by this mission also improves meteorological forecasts, which are important for commercial and recreational boating. By fine-tuning weather prediction models, Copernicus Sentinel 6/Jason CS data improves hurricane forecasts, including the likelihood of storm intensification, which can aid disaster preparedness and response.
4. Sentinel 6B data will support national security efforts.
Sentinel 6B’s ocean and atmospheric measurements will enable decision makers to better protect coastal military installations from events such as nuisance flooding, while contributing to national defense by providing critical information on weather and ocean conditions. The satellite will do this by feeding data about Earth’s atmosphere and seas to forward-looking weather and ocean models in near real time. Because measurements are part of a long-term data set, they can also add historical context that puts new data into perspective.
5. The Copernicus Sentinel 6/Jason CS mission directly observes sea level and provides important information to protect the coasts where almost half of the world’s population lives.
Sea-level rise varies by area, meaning some coasts are more vulnerable to flooding, erosion and saltwater contamination of groundwater supplies, threatening agricultural land and drinking water sources. Sea level measurements from the Sentinel 6 Michael Freilich satellite, now Sentinel 6B, form the basis for flood forecasting in the United States to protect coastal infrastructure, real estate, energy storage, and other coastal resources and assets. Knowing which regions are most vulnerable to these risks will allow American businesses and emergency managers to make more informed decisions about transportation and business infrastructure, land-use planning, water management, and adaptation strategies.
6. The international cooperation that supports this mission allows for the concentration of capabilities, resources and expertise.
The multi-decade dataset underlying this mission is the result of years of close work between NASA and several collaborating agencies, including NASA, ESA, EUMETSAT, CNES, and NOAA. Combining expertise and resources, this partnership has resulted in cost-effective solutions that make accurate, high-impact data available to both industry and government agencies.
More information about Sentinel 6B
Copernicus Sentinel 6/Jason CS was jointly developed by ESA, EUMETSAT, NASA and NOAA with financial support from the European Commission and technical support from CNES. This mission also marks the first international participation in Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation programme.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), managed by NASA’s California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, supplied three science instruments for each Sentinel 6 satellite: the Advanced Microwave Radiometer, the Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Closure Probe, and the Laser Retroreflector Array. NASA also provided launch services, ground systems that support the operation of NASA’s science instruments, science data processors for two of those instruments, and support for the international community of ocean surface imaging science teams.
For more information about Sentinel 6/Jason CS, visit the website: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/sentinel-6B/
Read this story in English here.
