The Sentinel-2C satellite, the third Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite, has arrived at the European spaceport in French Guiana for liftoff on the final Vega rocket in September. Sentinel-2C, like its predecessors, will continue to provide high-quality data for Copernicus – the Earth observation component of the EU Space Program.
After road transportation from the Airbus facilities in Friedrichshafen to Bremen on 2 July, Sentinel-2C was shipped on 4 July on the iconic Canopée – the first sail-assisted container ship. After a two-week journey, it has now safely arrived and will now undergo a series of pre-launch tests to prepare it for liftoff.
Constantin Mavrocordatos, Sentinel-2 Project Manager at ESA, said, “I am extremely proud of the Sentinel-2 team. Their dedication and flexibility allowed us to adapt to the available launcher slots and meet this crucial milestone on time.
“Sentinel-2 has been a tremendous success, dedicated to observing land and coastal areas. With Sentinel-2C, and later Sentinel-2D, we will be able to serve the user community and scientists for at least another decade, providing the tools to closely monitor our environment and help decision-makers take informed actions.”
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission is based on a constellation of two identical satellites, Sentinel-2A (launched in 2015) and Sentinel-2B (launched in 2017), flying in the same orbit but 180° apart to optimize coverage and revisit time.
Unloading the Sentinel-2C
The satellite carries a high-resolution multispectral imager and will generate optical images from the visible to the shortwave infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. From its altitude of 786 km, the satellite will provide continuous imagery in 13 spectral bands with resolutions of 10, 20 and 60 m and a uniquely large swath width of 290 km.
Data collected from Sentinel-2 is currently being used for a wide range of applications, including precision farming, water quality monitoring, natural disaster management and methane emissions detection. Sentinel-2 provides particularly useful information for monitoring natural ecosystems, as it can for instance differentiate between various vegetation types and offers data on biophysical variables such as leaf area index, lead chlorophyll content and leaf water content.
Sentinel-2C arrives
Once in orbit, Sentinel-2C will replace its predecessor, Sentinel-2A, while Sentinel-2D will later replace Sentinel-2B. Along with the Sentinel-2 Next Generation satellite, they will ensure data continuity beyond 2035.
Click here to learn more about ESA's Space Missions.
