06/12/2024
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The third Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite tv for pc was launched on a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Sentinel-1C extends the legacy of its predecessors, delivering high-resolution radar imagery to observe Earth’s altering atmosphere, supporting a various vary of functions and advancing scientific analysis. Additionally, Sentinel-1C introduces new capabilities for detecting and monitoring maritime site visitors.
Sentinel-1C was launched into orbit on 5 December, lifting off aboard Vega-C at 22:20 CET (18:20 native time). The launch proceeded easily, with the rocket reaching house in eight minutes and dropping off Sentinel-1C at roughly 00:04 CET.
The launcher’s mission, known as VV25, is a return-to-flight for Vega-C – Europe’s light-weight, high-performance rocket – marking the restart of routine business operations for the brand new launcher. At 00:12 CET, ESA established communication with the satellite tv for pc confirming that it was safely in orbit.
ESA’s Director General Josef Aschbacher mentioned, “One second mixed two nice European achievements in the present day: the third launch of a Sentinel-1 satellite tv for pc and the third launch of Vega-C, marking a triumphant return to kind for each flagship European initiatives. It was thrilling and touching to see the combination of the European launcher and Copernicus neighborhood and groups rooting one another on in true Team Europe kind.
“With the insertion of Sentinel-1C into orbit, ESA continues a legacy of steadfast Sentinels defending the Earth and exemplifies why Europe wants secured flights: as a result of what we ship to house supplies advantages to Earth, and all of it begins with a launch.”
ESA’s Director of Space Transportation Toni Tolker-Nielsen mentioned, “Today’s launch marks a vital step ahead, reaffirming European unbiased entry to house. With Vega-C again in flight and the inaugural launch of Ariane 6 in July, we’re in a fantastic place going ahead and I salute all of the hard-working groups throughout Europe and its spaceport who’ve labored tirelessly to attain this success.”
ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes Simonetta Cheli added, “We are thrilled to have a good time the launch of Sentinel-1C, an instance of the enduring partnership between ESA and the European Commission. The mission performs a vital function in addressing world challenges like local weather change and catastrophe response, whereas guaranteeing the continuity of important radar knowledge for monitoring Earth’s land, oceans and ice.
“With Sentinel-1C efficiently in orbit and Vega-C again in flight, Europe continues to display its management in house, delivering tangible advantages for Earth via cutting-edge know-how and collaboration.”
About Copernicus Sentinel-1C
The Sentinel-1 mission, the primary within the household of Copernicus, relies on a constellation of two an identical satellites flying in the identical orbit however 180° aside, to optimise world protection and knowledge supply for Copernicus – the Earth statement part of the EU’s Space Programme.
Sentinel-1A was the primary satellite tv for pc within the collection, launched in April 2014, adopted by the launch of Sentinel-1B in 2016. The Sentinel-1B mission got here to an finish in August 2022 after experiencing a technical fault that rendered it unable to amass knowledge. The satellite tv for pc has been efficiently de-orbited and can reenter Earth’s environment inside 25 years.
Sentinel-1C, together with its sibling Sentinel-1A, will return the mission to its full potential as a two-satellite constellation. Sentinel-1A is then due to get replaced by Sentinel-1D later subsequent 12 months.
Carrying superior radar know-how to supply an all-weather, day-and-night provide of images of Earth’s floor, the bold Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission has raised the bar for spaceborne radar. Sentinel-1 carries a C-band artificial aperture radar (SAR) instrument, which permits it to seize high-resolution imagery of Earth’s floor.
Sentinel-1 knowledge contributes to quite a few Copernicus companies and functions, together with Arctic sea-ice monitoring, iceberg monitoring, routine sea-ice mapping and glacier-velocity measurements. It additionally performs an important function in marine surveillance, akin to oil-spill detection, ship monitoring for maritime safety and monitoring unlawful fishing actions.
Additionally, it’s extensively used for observing floor deformation attributable to subsidence, earthquakes and volcanic exercise, in addition to for mapping forests, water and soil assets. The mission is essential in supporting humanitarian support and responding to crises worldwide.
Sentinel-1C and Sentinel-1D introduce new capabilities for detecting and monitoring maritime site visitors, via their built-in Automatic Identification System (AIS). This system contains 4 onboard antennas and optimises the seize of indicators transmitted by ships, which embrace essential particulars akin to a vessel id, location and route of passage, enabling exact monitoring.
Sentinel-1 knowledge are freely accessible by way of the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, offering immediate entry to a variety of knowledge from each the Copernicus Sentinel missions and the Copernicus Contributing Missions.
The Sentinel-1 mission is the results of shut collaboration between ESA, the European Commission, trade, service suppliers and knowledge customers. Designed and constructed by a consortium of greater than 70 firms led by Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defence and Space, it’s an impressive instance of Europe’s technological excellence.
About Vega-C
Europe’s Vega-C rocket can launch 2300 kg into house, akin to small scientific and Earth statement spacecraft. At 35 m tall, Vega-C weighs 210 tonnes on the launch pad and reaches orbit with three solid-propellant-powered levels earlier than the fourth liquid-propellant stage takes over for exact placement of satellites into their desired orbit round Earth. Vega-C is the evolution of the Vega household of rockets and delivers elevated efficiency, higher payload quantity and improved competitiveness.
Complementing the Ariane household to launch all sorts of payloads into their desired orbits, Vega-C ensures that Europe has versatile and unbiased entry to house. ESA owns the Vega-C programme, working with Avio as prime contractor and design authority. Arianespace was the launch service supplier for Sentinel-1C.
This launch marks Vega-C’s return to flight, a key step in restoring Europe’s unbiased entry to house. The first business flight in December 2022 failed because of a nozzle challenge in its Zefiro-40 motor. Since then, an improved nozzle was designed and constructed and the whole Zefiro-40 stage has undergone two profitable firing exams, in May and October 2024, which demonstrated the motor’s means to carry out reliably beneath completely different stress circumstances and burn length. These exams confirmed the motor’s readiness, and clear the trail for Vega-C’s flight with Sentinel-1C.
