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Just over two weeks after launch in California, the Michael Freilich Sentinel-6 probe is in final preparation. Technicians and engineers have encapsulated the satellite in the payload fairing, the protective nosepiece that will ride atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Launch is scheduled for November 21st.
“We’re almost there,” said project manager Parag Vaze of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “We will soon be looking at the satellite as it travels into Earth’s orbit 830 miles above our planet.” ESA (European Space Agency) project manager Pierrik Vuilleumier echoed the sentiment.
About the size of a small pickup truck, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will play a central role in efforts to monitor sea level rise caused by climate change. In addition, the data it collects on sea level changes near coasts will provide information to support coastal management and flood planning, while its atmospheric measurements will improve weather and hurricane forecasting.
Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich is one of two identical satellites that are part of the Sentinel-6 / Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission, a US-Europe collaboration. The mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program managed by the European Commission.
Continuing the legacy of Jason series missions, Sentinel-6 / Jason-CS will extend sea level records into their fourth decade, collecting accurate sea surface height measurements for more than 90% of the world’s oceans and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology and climate studies. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich’s twin, Sentinel-6B, is expected to launch in 2025.
Related links
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Satellites help trace the travel routes of Bronze Age shepherds in China
Washington DC (SPX), November 5, 2020
To retrace the ancient migration routes taken by Bronze Age shepherds in northwestern China, the researchers turned to space. The satellite imagery allowed researchers to map the distribution of archaeological evidence in the 640,000-square-mile autonomous region known as Xinjiang, according to a study published Wednesday in PLOS One. Interviews with modern shepherds also helped researchers contextualize the data and model the ways ancient shepherds likely navigated rough terrain. “This detail … read more
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