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Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich ready for launch
Press release from: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Published: Friday 6 November 2020
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.
Learn more about the mission
Sentinel-6 / Jason-CS is jointly developed by ESA, the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with financial support from the European Commission and technical support from the National Space Center French Studies.
JPL, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, supplies three scientific instruments for each Sentinel-6 satellite: the Advanced microwave radiometer, the Global Navigation Satellite System – Radio Occultation, and the Laser retroreflector array. NASA also provides launch services, ground systems that support the operation of NASA’s scientific instruments, science data processors for two of these instruments, and support for US members of the international ocean topographic science team.
The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich press kit:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/
For more information on Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, please visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/sentinel-
https://www.esa.int/Sentinel-6
https://edefis.eu/
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