First satellite from Sentinel-3 series in orbit
On 16th February 2016 Sentinel-3A was launched into Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 815 km on top of a Rokot launch vehicle from the Russian Cosmodrome of Plesetsk. Sentinel-3A was designed to monitor Earth's oceans, ice and land. Sensors will provide high-accuracy temperature of Earth's surface and altimeter data which will enable to improve warning systems against floods and tsunami and help to mitigate the effects of climate change. Sentinel-3 will enable to monitor water pollution, measure level of rivers and lakes, study ice cover and detect fires.
Sentinel-3A has 4 instruments on board:
- OLCI - Ocean and Land Colour Imager, will provide multi-spectral data (21 spectral bands, 0.4-1.02 μm) with spatial resolution 300 m per pixel and with a swath of 1270 km;
- SLSTR - Sea Land Surface Temperature Radiometer, which has 9 spectral bands (0.55-12 μm) with spatial resolution of 500 m to 1 km;
- SRAL - Sea and Land Surface Radar Altimeter, will provide measurements in two frequences (Ku and C band) and altimetr data with a spatial resolution of 300 m;
- MWR - MicroWave Radiometer, which is also dual-frequency (23,8 i 36,5 GHz) and will i.a. measure total column atmospheric water vapour.
Sentinel-3A is the first from the series of 4 planned Sentonel-3 satellites. Next one (Sentinel-3B) will probably be launched in the first quarter of the year 2017.
More information about Sentinel-3 can be found on ESA webpage: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-3/Introducing_Sentinel-3
