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US-European Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite takes off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in central California on November 21, 2020. NASA, EUMETSAT and NOAA are collaborating on this mission. Credit: NASA
Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, the world’s last satellite above sea level, is in orbit and is ready to begin making critical ocean measurements for the next five and a half years.
A joint US-Europe satellite built to monitor global sea levels took off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Saturday at 9:17 am PST (12:17 pm EST).
About the size of a small pickup truck, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will extend a nearly 30-year continuous data set above sea level collected from an ongoing collaboration of US and European satellites, improving weather forecasts and providing detailed information on ocean currents on large scale to support naval navigation near the coast.
“The Earth is changing and this satellite will help us deepen our understanding of how,” said Karen St. Germain, director of NASADivision of Earth Sciences. “Earth’s changing processes are affecting sea level globally, but the impact on local communities varies widely. International collaboration is essential both to understand these changes and to inform coastal communities around the world. “
The Ocean Observation Satellite Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on November 21, 2020 at 12:17 PM EST (9:17 PST, 17:17 UTC ). Credit: NASA-JPL/ Caltech
After arriving in orbit, the spacecraft separated from the rocket’s second stage and deployed its twin sets of solar panels. Ground controllers successfully acquired the satellite signal, and initial telemetry reports showed the spacecraft to be in good health. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will now undergo a series of exhaustive checks and calibrations before starting to collect scientific data in a few months.
Continue the legacy
The probe is named in honor of Michael Freilich, the former director of NASA’s Earth Sciences Division, who was a leading figure in advancing ocean observations from space. Freilich passed away on August 5, 2020. His family and close friends attended the launch of the satellite that now bears his name.
“Michael was a tireless force in the earth sciences. Climate change and sea level rise know no national boundaries and has supported international collaboration to address the challenge, “said Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s (European Space Agency) Director of Earth Observation Programs. It is fitting that a satellite in its name continues the ‘gold standard’ of sea level measurements for the next half-decade. This cooperation between Europe and the United States is exemplary and will pave the way for greater opportunities for cooperation in Earth observation. “
Sentinel-6 Ocean Observation Satellite Michael Freilich took off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in Calif. At 9:17 am PST (12:17 pm EST) Saturday November 21, 2020 Credit: NASA TV
“Mike helped ensure NASA was a constant partner with scientists and space agencies around the world, and his love of oceanography and earth sciences helped us improve our understanding of our beautiful planet,” he said. added Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA’s associate administrator for science at the agency’s headquarters. “This satellite so graciously named for it by our European partners will do the critical work Mike so strongly believed in, adding to the legacy of crucial data about our oceans and paying for it forward for the benefit of future generations.”
Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will continue the sea level record begun in 1992 with the TOPEX / Poseidon satellite and continued with Jason-1 (2001), OSTM / Jason-2 (2008) and finally Jason-3, which observed the oceans since 2016. Together, these satellites have provided a nearly 30-year record of precise sea-level height measurements, tracking how quickly our oceans are rising in response to our warming climate. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will pass the baton to his twin, Sentinel-6B, in 2025, extending the current climate record by at least another 10 years between the two satellites.
Global scientific impact
This latest mission marks the first international involvement in Copernicus, the earth observation program of the European Union. In addition to measuring sea level for nearly the entire globe, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich’s suite of science instruments will also make atmospheric measurements that can be used to integrate climate models and help meteorologists make better weather forecasts.
“NASA is just one of many partners involved in Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, but this satellite speaks to the heart of our mission,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “Whether it’s 800 miles above Earth in this extraordinary spacecraft or a trip to Mars to look for signs of life, whether it be providing farmers with agricultural data or helping first responders with our Disasters program, we are tirelessly committed not only to learning and exploration, but to making an impact where it is. necessary “.
In this illustration, the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich spacecraft, the world’s last satellite at sea level, orbits the Earth with its extended deployable solar panels. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech
Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich’s initial orbit is approximately 12.5 miles (20.1 kilometers) less than its final operational orbit of 830 miles (1336 kilometers). In less than a month, the satellite will receive commands to increase its orbit, dragging Jason-3 about 30 seconds. The mission scientists and engineers will then spend about a year cross-calibrating the data collected by the two satellites to ensure continuity of sea level measurements from satellite to satellite. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will then assume the role of primary satellite at sea level and Jason-3 will provide a support role until the end of his mission.
“This mission is the very essence of collaboration, precision and incredible long-term focus,” said Michael Watkins, director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which runs the mission. “Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich not only provides critical measurement, it is essential to continue this historic multi-decade sea level record.”
Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich and Sentinel-6B make up the Sentinel-6 / Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission developed in collaboration with ESA. ESA is developing the new Sentinel family of missions to support the operational needs of the Copernicus program, managed by the European Commission. Other partners include the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with financial support from the European Commission and technical support from the French National Center for Space Studies.
“The data from this satellite, so critical to climate monitoring and weather forecasting, will be unprecedented precision“Said EUMETSAT CEO Alain Ratier.” This data, which can only be obtained from space measurements, will bring a wide range of benefits to people around the world, from safer ocean voyages to more accurate route predictions of hurricanes, from a greater understanding of sea level rise to a more accurate seasonality of weather forecasting and much more. “
JPL, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, is contributing three scientific instruments to each Sentinel-6 satellite: the Advanced Microwave Radiometer for Climate, 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, scientific data processors for two of these instruments, and support for the US component of the international ocean topographic science team. The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
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