ESA satellite Sentinel-2C successfully launched
The European Space Agency launched its new satellite into space last night. Sentinel-2C is part of the Copernicus earth observation program.
Sentinel-2 is equipped with a high-resolution multispectral optical imager to monitor changes in vegetation as part of the European environmental monitoring program Copernicus.
(Image: ESA/ATG medialab)
The European Space Agency launched its new satellite into space last night. Sentinel-2C is part of the Copernicus Earth observation program.
In the early hours of September 4, 2024 (03:50 CEST), European space travel took another important step: the Sentinel-2C Earth observation satellite was successfully launched into space on a Vega launcher from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana. The satellite is part of the European Union's Copernicus program, which aims to collect and provide precise data for observing the Earth.
Powerful observer in space
With its multispectral camera, the new satellite delivers high-resolution images in 13 different spectral ranges. These range from visible light to infrared. Depending on the wavelength, it has a resolution of 10 by 10 meters per pixel and can observe a strip around 300 kilometers wide.
The satellite's images and data are of great value for a variety of applications. These include the monitoring of vegetation and agriculture as well as the observation of natural disasters such as floods and forest fires, where the satellite can support the emergency services with up-to-date and precise data. In addition, Sentinel-2C contributes to security by monitoring the external borders of the European Union, as well as providing a long-term analysis of the effects of climate change.
(Image:Â ESA/ATG medialab)
Twin satellites
Sentinel-2C, the third satellite in the Sentinel series, is to take over the tasks of its predecessor Sentinel-2A, which is nearing the end of its operational life. Together with Sentinel-2B, which has been in orbit since 2017, it will completely cover the Earth's surface between latitudes 84 degrees north and 56 degrees south every five days. Both satellites are in the same orbit, but 180 degrees offset from each other.
Built by Airbus Defence and Space in Friedrichshafen with the participation of more than 30 European companies, the satellite is equipped with a state-of-the-art multispectral camera and 123 kilograms of propellant, which even allows it to change its orbit slightly. This is particularly important in order to be able to react to sudden events or avoid space debris.
The costs for the construction of Sentinel-2C amount to a total of 200 million euros. The annual operating costs are around 25 million euros. The satellite is to remain in operation until at least 2031 and deliver around 16 TByte of data every day. The data from Sentinel-2C will be made available to the public free of charge by ESA and the EU. They represent a valuable resource for research institutions, universities and start-ups and should help to better understand the challenges of climate change and develop solutions.
Long-term monitoring
Robert Meisner, Communications Coordinator at ESA's Earth and Environmental Observation, said at a media briefing according to the newspaper Der Standard: "That's the special thing about Copernicus, that we ensure that data is available in the long term. Because only if I have a long-term perspective and data continues to be available can I also build a business model on such a satellite data set, which is of course difficult with experimental satellites."
The launch was originally planned for 2022, but was postponed several times due to technical problems and system errors, including because the new Vega-C rocket could not be used due to technical problems. The rocket, developed and built by the Italian company Avio, failed on its first commercial flight after a successful maiden flight: it could not be launched and had to undergo extensive testing.
(vat)
