profitable takeoff of the Sentinel-1D satellite tv for pc for environmental monitoring, as a part of the Copernicus program | EUROtoday

The European heavy launcher Ariane-6 took off on Tuesday night, November 4, from the Kourou area middle, in French Guiana, with on board a brand new satellite tv for pc meant for environmental monitoring, an Agence France-Presse (AFP) correspondent famous on web site.

Liftoff passed off at 6:02 p.m. native time (10:02 p.m. Paris time), adopted by the separation of the launcher and the satellite tv for pc, 33 minutes and 51 seconds after takeoff.

This is step one in placing this satellite tv for pc, which weighs greater than two tonnes, into sun-synchronous orbit, which is able to happen at an altitude of 693 km. This kind of orbit permits the craft to cross near the poles and fly over each level on Earth on the similar photo voltaic time, making it simpler to match pictures over time.

This mission is the third business flight of Ariane-6 because it entered service final yr. The new European heavy launcher made an inaugural flight in July 2024, marking the return of autonomous entry to area for Europe, regardless of the failure of the higher stage’s atmospheric reentry on the finish of the mission. Then the European rocket carried out two business flights this yr: on March 6 with a army satellite tv for pc and on August 13 with a meteorological gadget.

Image acquisition together with by means of clouds

This time, the rocket carries on board the Sentinel-1D satellite tv for pc, manufactured by Thales Alenia Space, as a part of the Copernicus program, the Earth commentary element of the European Union area program.

It contains a complicated radar instrument that enables it to amass pictures of the earth’s floor in all climate situations, together with by means of clouds. It will thus be capable of ship Earth commentary knowledge at any time of the day or night time.

It will ship important and useful knowledge to scientists, authorities and establishments world wide to watch the evolution of sea ice, icebergs and glaciers, and to detect oil spills, deforestation and the consequences of local weather change comparable to floods, landslides, and so forth.

The anticipated lifespan of Sentinel-1D is seven and a half years. It should be a part of Sentinel-1 C, launched in December 2024, and exchange Sentinel-1 A, launched in 2014 and which is approaching the tip of its operational life.

At least a fourth business Ariane-6 flight is deliberate by the tip of the yr. In mid-September, Arianespace had revised downwards, to 4 in comparison with 5 beforehand, the variety of business Ariane-6 launches in 2025, however promised to roughly double this determine in 2026. With these launches, Europe has regained its autonomy of entry to area, essential within the present geopolitical context.