On 16 February 2016, the Sentinel-3A satellite was successfully launched from Plesetsk, Russia. The 1150 kilogram satellite is the third in a series of satellites to be placed in orbit, and will contribute to monitor the environment and support civil security activities.
The Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), Mr. Jan Woerner, commented that “with the successful launch of Sentinel-3 we are now looking forward to how our teams of experts will steer this mission into its operational life – like they have done the first two satellites of the series”.
The Sentinel-3A satellite will carry out dedicated observations in land and in the oceans. Over land, the satellite will be used to track and monitor forest fires, to assess the health of vegetation, to measure the height of rivers and lakes and to carry out observations regarding how land is used. In the case of the oceans, the satellite will measure the temperature, the colour and the height of the sea surface as well as the thickness of sea-ice. These applications will contribute to the systematic observations of the manifestations of climate change and other environmental applications.
The Sentinel-3B satellite, to be launched in 2017, will complement the observing capabilities of Sentinel-3A. The Sentinel satellites are geared to support Europe's Copernicus Environment Programme. Data from these satellites can be used free of charge and is expected to be used worldwide.
