The “Copernicus” satellite launched to monitor the sea level has the participation of the Portuguese company

With the participation of the Portuguese company Critical Sofware, the Copernicus Sentinel-6 was today put into orbit by the SpaceX Falcon9 rocket, launched from the Vandenberg air base in the United States.

The Copernicus Sentinel-6 satellite was put into orbit this Saturday by the SpaceX Falcon9 rocket, according to reports brought by the Observer, being launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, in the United States, to provide a new overview of the ocean topography. and monitor.

The project sees the participation of the Portuguese company Critical Software, based in Coimbra, in its development, in terms of ‘software’ and of the system, the satellite, called ‘Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich’, in honor of the former director La NASA’s Earth Science division will measure changes in sea level, provide data for oceanography, meteorology, and ultimately protect life on Earth from rising sea levels, the Observer reports. .

“I am extremely proud to have seen the Copernicus Sentinel-6 take off this evening and I know it is about to begin its mission to continue the sea level measurements that are so necessary to understand and monitor the worrying trend of sea level rise. “European Space Agency (ESA) Director of Earth Observation Programs Josef Aschbacher said in a statement.

According to ESA, which led the project, these measurements will help to understand the changes that are taking place in coastal areas, in order to contribute to the decision-making process in implementing appropriate policies to help contain climate change and for more communities. vulnerable are protected.

Over the past three decades, the “Franco-US Topex-Poseidon” and “Jason” missions have served as a reference and, in combination with the previous ESA satellites, ERS and Envisat, as well as the current CryoSat and Copernicus Sentinel-3, has shown how sea ​​level rose an average of 3.2 millimeters each year. In recent years, the average rate of increase has been 4.8mm per year.

Now in orbit, the “Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich” will extend this dataset to climate studies. The mission, according to the Observer, includes two identical satellites launched in sequence. Within five years, the Copernicus Sentinel-6B will be launched to take the lead. The mission as a whole will ensure data continuity at least until 2030.

The satellite carries a radar altimeter, which works by measuring the time it takes for radar pulses to reach the Earth’s surface and return to the satellite. Combined with accurate satellite position data, altimetric measurements provide the height of the sea surface.

The satellite instrument package also includes an advanced microwave radiometer that measures the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, which affects the speed of the altimeter’s radar pulses.

DE notes that Sentinel-6 is part of the Copernicus mission family of the European Union. Its implementation is the result of cooperation between the European Commission, ESA, Eumetsat, NASA and NOAA, with the contribution of the French space agency CNES.

“We are delighted to welcome this newcomer to the EU’s Sentinel Copernicus satellite fleet. Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will enable the delivery of better products and information about the oceans and the atmosphere to improve the daily lives of our citizens. The arrival of this satellite is another success for Copernicus, for Europe, for all mission partners and for the whole world, ”said European Commission’s Director General of Defense and Space Industry, Timo Pesonen, quoted by ESA.