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Only launched two months ago and still in the process of being commissioned for service, the Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite has, remarkably, shown how its radar data can be used to map the shape of Earth’s land surface with extreme precision. These first cross-satellite ‘interferometry’ results assure its ability to monitor subsidence, uplift, glacier flow, and disasters such as landslides and earthquakes.
This interferogram of the Antofagasta area in northern Chile combines Sentinel-1C acquisitions only, from 20 January and 1 February 2025, which is the satellite’s 12-day repeat orbit interval.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2025), processed by DLR Microwaves & Radar Institute/ESA
Greece’s largest and most populous island, Crete, is featured in this image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission.
The two identical Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellites carry radar instruments, which can see through clouds and rain, and in the dark, to image Earth’s surface below. The sea surface reflects the radar signal away from the satellite, making water appear dark in the image, while cities on the island are visible in white owing to the strong reflection of the radar signal.
Crete extends for approximately 260 km from west to east, and is approximately 60 km across at its widest point. Crete is known for its rugged terrain and is dominated by a high mountain range crossing from west to east. This includes the Lefká Ori, or ‘White Mountains’ in the west, Mount Ida, Crete’s highest mountain, visible in the centre of the island, and the Díkti Mountains in the east. Crete’s capital and largest city of the island, Heraklion, is located along the northern coastline.
Several other smaller islands are dotted around the image, including Gavdos, Chrisi and Dia.
Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage. Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration (PFAC) where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders linked to international metrology standards to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch.
This PFAC network has been operating for around two decades, with a main calibration validation station located on the island of Gavdos and a dedicated transponder site in the Cretan mountains. A transponder receives, amplifies and re-transmits the radar pulse back to the radar altimeter in space where the signal is recorded. The transponder measurements are used to determine the range and datation of the satellite altimeter data in a unique manner – something that is very difficult to achieve on the ground.
Western Crete was identified as a unique location for the inter-comparison of satellite altimeters owing to its unique positioning of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 and Sentinel-6 orbit crossing points.
The sea surrounding the island has minimal tides, and the rugged mountainous landscape means that the transponder signals can be measured from space with little interference, but most importantly, in the sky above it, a number of satellites in orbit converge. This allows each satellite flying above to be cross-calibrated with the next one at one specific meeting point using the same instrumentation.
The Fiducial Reference Measurements for Sentinel-6 is the latest activity designed to bring the full power of the PFAC to check the performance of the upcoming Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite – the next radar altimetry reference mission extending the legacy of sea-surface height measurements until at least 2030.
Every 10 days, Sentinel-6 will provide sufficient measurements to map the sea-surface height of the ocean from which sea-level rise can be computed. As part of the ESA contribution to the long-term verification and validation of both Sentinel-3 and Sentinel-6 missions, the PFAC is being extended with a second transponder to be installed on Gavdos Island, southwest of Crete, as seen in the Sentinel-1 radar image. This gives the ‘big picture’ allowing us to chart the sea level with confidence.
This image is also featured on the Earth from Space video programme.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2019), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Radar images from Sentinel-1A captured the Jakobshavn glacier in western Greenland before and after a massive calving event, which took place between 14 and 16 August 2015.
The image composite includes different Sentinel-1A images from 27 July, and 13 and 19 August. The red, green and blue indicate the position of the calving front and other dynamic features on each respective date.
Read full story: Chasing ice
Credit: Copernicus Sentinel data (2015)/ESA
Thanks largely to the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, scientists have discovered that the fast-flowing Kohler East glacier in Antarctica is rapidly siphoning ice from a neighbouring flow – at a pace never before seen. The glacier feeds the Dotson Ice Shelf, imaged here by Sentinel-1.
Kohler East is one of the fastest-changing glaciers in West Antarctica. Glaciers in this region have the highest recorded rates of thinning and grounding-line retreat in Antarctica. The grounding line is the point at which glaciers on land transition to ice shelves and start to float. If the grounding line retreats, this can cause instability and even faster flow of the ice sheet towards the ocean.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2022), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Less than a week after its launch, the Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite has delivered its first radar images of Earth – offering a glimpse into its capabilities for environmental monitoring.
This image showcases part of the Netherlands, including Amsterdam and the region of Flevoland, renowned for its extensive farmland and advanced water management systems. Zoom in to explore this image at its full resolution.
Sentinel-1C’s advanced radar captures intricate details of this region, providing invaluable data for monitoring soil moisture and assessing crop health. These insights are essential for enhancing agricultural productivity and ensuring sustainable resource management in one of Europe’s key farming areas.
This Sentinel-1C image of the Netherlands echoes the very first SAR image acquired by the legacy European Remote-Sensing (ERS) mission in 1991, which captured the Flevoland polder and the Ijsselmeer – marking the first European radar image ever taken from space.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2024), processed by ESA; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Less than a week after its launch, the Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite has delivered its first radar images of Earth – offering a glimpse into its capabilities for environmental monitoring.
The first image, captured just 56 hours and 23 minutes after liftoff, features Svalbard, a remote Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Zoom in to explore this image at its full resolution.
This image demonstrates Sentinel-1C’s ability to monitor ice coverage and environmental changes in harsh and isolated regions. These capabilities are essential for understanding the effects of climate change on polar ecosystems and for enabling safer navigation in Arctic waters.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2024), processed by ESA; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Hurricane Helene was a devastating tropical cyclone that produced a wide swath of damage and loss of life that extended from northwest Florida, US, where the storm made landfall on 26 September 2024, to Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina.
Hurricane Helene was closely monitored using Copernicus Sentinel-1 radar data to assess its wind field over the ocean surface. This technology plays a crucial role in understanding storm dynamics and predicting their impacts.
Satellite-based sensors, particularly those operating in microwave frequencies, can capture data on ocean surface wind speed and direction under various weather conditions. The Ocean Wind Field (OWI), derived from Sentinel-1, provided detailed estimates of wind vectors at 10 m above the ocean surface. This information is essential for meteorologists to analyse the storm's intensity and trajectory.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2024), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Soyuz VS14 upper composite in the S3B preparation building in preparation for the 22 April 2016 launch.
Once in orbit, it will provide radar images of Earth for Europe’s Copernicus environmental monitoring programme.
With the Sentinel-1 mission designed as a two-satellite constellation, Sentinel-1B will join its identical twin, Sentinel-1A, which was launched two years ago.
More about Sentinel-1:
Credit: ESA–Manuel Pedoussaut, 2016
This image of Antarctica’s Getz Ice Shelf has been compiled using radar images from Copernicus Sentinel-1 acquired between January and September 2023.
New research, based largely on information from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 and ESA’s CryoSat satellite missions, has revealed alarming findings about the state of Antarctica's ice shelves: 40% of these floating shelves have significantly reduced in volume over the past quarter-century. While this underscores the accelerating impacts of climate change on the world's southernmost continent, the picture of ice deterioration is mixed.
Getz Ice Shelf experienced some of the biggest ice losses, where 1.9 trillion tonnes of ice were lost over the 25-year study period. Just 5% of this was caused by calving, where large chunks of ice breakaway from the shelf and move into the ocean. The rest was due to melting at the base of the ice shelf.
In contrast, most of the ice shelves on the eastern side of Antarctica remained intact or increased in mass.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2023), processed by ESA
Sentinel-1B satellite being encapsulated within its Soyuz fairing in preparation for the 22 April 2016 launch. This stage of the launch campaign took place on Friday 15 April in the S3B preparation building of the Guiana Space Centre.
Once in orbit, it will provide radar images of Earth for Europe’s Copernicus environmental monitoring programme.
With the Sentinel-1 mission designed as a two-satellite constellation, Sentinel-1B will join its identical twin, Sentinel-1A, which was launched two years ago.
More about Sentinel-1:
Credit: ESA–Manuel Pedoussaut, 2016
This image is one of the first to be captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1D satellite, which carries a 12 m-long synthetic aperture radar (SAR) instrument. It was captured on the night of 6 November (European time) and the data was then transmitted from the satellite to the Matera ground station, in Italy. All this was done within 50 hours of launch, which is likely to be the shortest time from launch to data delivery for a radar-based Earth observation satellite.
Radar instruments are particularly useful for imaging Earth’s surface through rain and cloud, as well as in darkness, making radar an ideal remote-sensing tool for observing polar regions. The satellite also carries an Automatic Identification System (AIS) instrument – enabling the mission to improve detection and tracking of ships over maritime zones.
Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago on the most southerly tip of the mainland South American continent. It covers territory in both Argentina to the east and in Chile to the west and is separated from the mainland by the Magellan Strait. The most southerly point of Tierra del Fuego is Cape Horn.
The bright contrasting colours in this false-colour image are created with Sentinel-1D’s polarimetric capacity – using multiple types of radar wave, known polarisations. Radar polarisation refers to the orientation of the radar wave’s electric field, which often moves either horizontally or vertically in relation to the ground. This affects how the radar signal interacts with the surface and therefore determines the data that can be collected about the physical characteristics of the surface. Using multiple polarisations helps analysts to study and better distinguish surface features. When several polarisation signals are combined, each can be assigned to either a red, green or blue light channel, producing a colourful image that highlights different surface features far beyond what is possible with single polarisation data alone. We see that here with the ocean and snowy peaks in shades of blue, while the land appears yellow.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2025), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Interferogram showing the coseismic surface displacement in the area near Gaziantep, generated from multiple Copernicus Sentinel-1 scans – before and after the earthquakes.
By combining data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, acquired before and after the earthquake, changes on the ground that occurred between the two acquisition dates lead to the colourful interference patterns in the images, known as an ‘interferogram’, enabling scientists to quantify the ground movement.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2023), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Less than a week after its launch, the Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite has delivered its first radar images of Earth – offering a glimpse into its capabilities for environmental monitoring.
This image highlights Brussels, Belgium, where Sentinel-1C’s radar technology vividly depicts the dense urban landscape in bright white and yellow tones, contrasting with the surrounding vegetation. Waterways and low-reflective areas, such as airport runways, appear in darker hues. Zoom in to explore this image at its full resolution.
Interestingly, Brussels holds historical significance for the Sentinel programme, as it was the subject of the first radar image captured by Sentinel-1A in April 2014.
The European Commission oversees Copernicus, coordinating diverse services aimed at environmental protection and enhancing daily life. While ESA, responsible for the Sentinel satellite family, ensures a steady flow of high-quality data to support these services.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2024), processed by ESA; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
The Copernicus Sentinel-1D satellite has joined the Sentinel-1 mission in orbit. Launch took place on 4 November 2025 at 22:02 CET (18:02 local time) on board an Ariane 6 launcher from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
The Sentinel-1 mission delivers high-resolution radar images of Earth’s surface, performing in all weathers, day-and-night. This service is used by disaster response teams, environmental agencies, maritime authorities and climate scientists, who depend on frequent updates of critical data.
Sentinel-1D will work in tandem with Sentinel-1C, flying in the same orbit but 180° apart, to optimise global coverage and data delivery. Both satellites have a C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) instrument on board, which captures high-resolution imagery of Earth’s surface. They are also equipped with Automatic Identification System (AIS) instruments to improve detection and tracking of ships. When Sentinel-1D is fully operational, it will enable more frequent AIS observations, including data on vessel identity, location and direction of passage, enabling precise tracking.
Sentinel-1D was launched on Europe’s heavy-lift rocket Ariane 6 on flight designated VA265.
Credit: ESA - S. Corvaja
Soyuz VS07 with ESA’s Sentinel-1A satellite lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 23:02:26 CEST (21:02:26 GMT) on 3 April 2014.
Credit: ESA–S. Corvaja, 2014
Soyuz VS07 with ESA’s Sentinel-1A satellite lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 23:02:26 CEST (21:02:26 GMT) on 3 April 2014.
Credit: ESA–S. Corvaja, 2014
Sentinel-1B satellite lowered onto Fregat upper stage in preparation for the 22 April 2016 launch. This stage of the launch campaign took place on Thursday 14 April in the S3B preparation building of the Guiana Space Centre.
Once in orbit, it will provide radar images of Earth for Europe’s Copernicus environmental monitoring programme.
With the Sentinel-1 mission designed as a two-satellite constellation, Sentinel-1B will join its identical twin, Sentinel-1A, which was launched two years ago.
Credit: ESA–Manuel Pedoussaut, 2016
Sentinel-1B lifted off on a Soyuz rocket, flight VS14, from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on 25 April 2016 at 21:02 GMT (23:02 CEST).
Credit: ESA–Manuel Pedoussaut, 2016
Placing the Earth-observer Sentinel-1C onto its "vampire" payload launch adapter to connect the satellite to the Vega-C rocket that will launch it into a polar orbit, 19 November 2024 at Europe Spaceport's payload integration facility.
Earth-observer Sentinel-1C is set to launch on Vega-C rocket flight VV25. At 35 m tall, Vega-C weighs 210 tonnes on the launch pad and reaches orbit with three solid-propellant-powered stages before the fourth liquid-propellant stage takes over for precise placement of Sentinel-1C into its orbit.
The payload adapter connects the satellite and the rocket launching it. The VAMPIRE backronym stands for Vega Adapter for Multiple Payload Injection and Release.
Visible left are the two fairing halves that will protect Sentinel-1C from the elements on the launch pad and during launch through our atmosphere.
Carrying advanced radar technology to provide an all-weather, day-and-night supply of imagery of Earth’s surface, the ambitious Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission has raised the bar for spaceborne radar.
The mission benefits numerous Copernicus services and applications such as those that relate to Arctic sea-ice monitoring, iceberg tracking, routine sea-ice mapping, glacier-velocity monitoring, surveillance of the marine environment including oil-spill monitoring and ship detection for maritime security as well as illegal fisheries monitoring.
Europe’s Vega-C rocket can launch 2300 kg into space, such as small scientific and Earth observation spacecraft. Vega-C is the evolution of the Vega family of rockets and delivers increased performance, greater payload volume and improved competitiveness.
Credits: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique du vidéo du CSG–S. Martin
This image is one of the first to be captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1D satellite, which carries a 12 m-long synthetic aperture radar (SAR) instrument. It was captured on the night of 6 November (European time) and the data was then transmitted from the satellite to the Matera ground station, in Italy. All this was done within 50 hours of launch, which is likely to be the shortest time from launch to data delivery for a radar-based Earth observation satellite.
Radar instruments are particularly useful for imaging Earth’s surface through rain and cloud, as well as in darkness, making radar an ideal remote-sensing tool for observing polar regions. The satellite also carries an Automatic Identification System (AIS) instrument – enabling the mission to improve detection and tracking of ships over maritime zones.
The Thwaites glacier, and the adjacent Pine Island glacier, are located west of the Antarctic Peninsula. Both are vulnerable to climate change. Thwaites is one of the most unstable glaciers in Antarctica and is at risk of rapid retreat. The details shown in this image from Sentinel-1D remind us of the fragility of glaciers in the Antarctic. And since 2025 is the United Nation’s International Year of Glaciers' Preservation, it is timely to see this image, captured on 6 November 2025.
This image uses multiple radar polarisations to capture enhanced data on the landscape. In this image, the sea ice in the water is visible in tones of purple or violet, while the glacier appears white.
Radar polarisation refers to the orientation of the radar wave’s electric field, which often moves either horizontally or vertically in relation to the ground. This affects how the radar signal interacts with the surface and therefore determines the data that can be collected about the physical characteristics of the surface. Using multiple polarisations helps analysts to study and better distinguish surface features. When several polarisation signals are combined, each can be assigned to either a red, green or blue light channel, producing a colourful image that highlights different surface features far beyond what is possible with single polarisation data alone.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2025), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Soyuz VS07 with ESA’s Sentinel-1A satellite lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 23:02:26 CEST (21:02:26 GMT) on 3 April 2014.
Credit: ESA–S. Corvaja, 2014
On 5 December 2024, the mobile building surrounding the Vega-C rocket with Earth-observer Sentinel-1C was rolled back at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, setting the rocket up for launch to a sun-synchronous orbit.
Earth-observer Sentinel-1C is flying on Vega-C rocket flight VV25. At 35 m tall, Vega-C weighs 210 tonnes on the launch pad and reaches orbit with three solid-propellant-powered stages before the fourth liquid-propellant stage takes over for precise placement of Sentinel-1C into its orbit.
Carrying advanced radar technology to provide an all-weather, day-and-night supply of imagery of Earth’s surface, the ambitious Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission has raised the bar for spaceborne radar.
The mission benefits numerous Copernicus services and applications such as those that relate to Arctic sea-ice monitoring, iceberg tracking, routine sea-ice mapping, glacier-velocity monitoring, surveillance of the marine environment including oil-spill monitoring and ship detection for maritime security as well as illegal fisheries monitoring.
Europe’s Vega-C rocket can launch 2300 kg into space, such as small scientific and Earth observation spacecraft. Vega-C is the evolution of the Vega family of rockets and delivers increased performance, greater payload volume and improved competitiveness.
Credits: ESA–S. Corvaja
Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission on 2 March 2024. The Thwaites Glacier is one of the most unstable glaciers in Antarctica. It is mainly impacted by warm ocean water flowing underneath the ice shelves, causing them to melt from below. As the ice shelves thin, glaciers speed up, sending more ice into the ocean and raising sea levels.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2024), processed by ESA; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Only launched two months ago and still in the process of being commissioned for service, the Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite has, remarkably, shown how its radar data can be used to map the shape of Earth’s land surface with extreme precision. These first cross-satellite ‘interferometry’ results assure its ability to monitor subsidence, uplift, glacier flow, and disasters such as landslides and earthquakes.
This interferogram of the Antofagasta area, in northern Chile, combines Sentinel-1C data only. It combines acquisitions from 20 January and 1 February 2025, which is representative of the satellite’s 12-day repeat orbit interval.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2025), processed by DLR Microwaves & Radar Institute/ESA
Following the devastating earthquake that struck Morocco on 8 September 2023, radar measurements from Europe’s Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite mission are being used to analyse how the ground has shifted as a result of the quake. This will not only help in planning the eventual reconstruction but will also further scientific research into the effects of earthquakes. Sentinel-1 acquisitions from 30 August 2023 and 11 September were combined to produce this interferogram, the coloured fringe pattern shows surface displacement.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2023), processed by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the DIAPASON InSAR service of CNES integrated by TRE Altamira on the Geohazard Exploitation Platform GEP/ESA.
Vega-C on the launch pad with Earth-observer Sentinel-1C at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, 5 December 2024.
Earth-observer Sentinel-1C is set to launch on Vega-C rocket flight VV25. At 35 m tall, Vega-C weighs 210 tonnes on the launch pad and reaches orbit with three solid-propellant-powered stages before the fourth liquid-propellant stage takes over for precise placement of Sentinel-1C into its orbit.
Carrying advanced radar technology to provide an all-weather, day-and-night supply of imagery of Earth’s surface, the ambitious Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission has raised the bar for spaceborne radar.
The mission benefits numerous Copernicus services and applications such as those that relate to Arctic sea-ice monitoring, iceberg tracking, routine sea-ice mapping, glacier-velocity monitoring, surveillance of the marine environment including oil-spill monitoring and ship detection for maritime security as well as illegal fisheries monitoring.
Europe’s Vega-C rocket can launch 2300 kg into space, such as small scientific and Earth observation spacecraft. Vega-C is the evolution of the Vega family of rockets and delivers increased performance, greater payload volume and improved competitiveness.
Credits: ESA–S. Corvaja
Satellite: Sentinel-1. SAR (Radar de Apertura Sintética).
A diferencia de lo que muchos pueden pensar, el canal de Panamá no es un trayecto directo de océano a océano, esto se debe a que el lago Gatún se encuentra a 26 metros sobre el nivel del mar. Como el lector comprenderá, el agua no fluye hacia arriba, por lo que se hace necesaria una solución de ingeniería para llevar a los barcos desde el nivel del mar hasta la altura del Lago Gatún, esta solución viene en la forma de esclusas. (www.unibe.edu.do/el-canal-de-panama-la-ruta-que-une-al-mu...)
A diferencia de los sensores ópticos, que registran la luz del sol reflejada en la superficie terrestres, los sensores de radar como el del satélite Sentinel-1 emiten sus propias ondas y registran el reflejo de estas procedente de la superficie. Tienen la gran ventaja de funcionar de noche y de atravesar las nubes.
Esta imagen ha sido procesada con el navegador EO Browser (apps.sentinel-hub.com/eo-browser) de Sentinel Hub. Sentinel Hub es un motor de procesamiento de datos satelitales, dentro del programa de observación de la Tierra Copernicus (copernicus.eu) de la Unión Europea, operado por la empresa Sinergise. EO Browser es gratuito y fácil de usar. El norte siempre está arriba.
This image has been processed using the EO Browser (apps.sentinel-hub.com/eo-browser) by Sentinel Hub. Sentinel Hub is a satellite data processing engine, within the European Union's Earth observation programme Copernicus (copernicus.eu), operated by the Sinergise company. EO Browser is free and easy to use. North is always up.
The A68 iceberg has recently broken into pieces (the 2 largest bits can be seen in this Copernicus Sentinel-1 image from 28 January 2021).
The iceberg was headed towards South Georgia - due to this recent split it should no longer be a threat to the island's wildlife.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2021), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
This false-colour radar image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1D mission on 7 November 2025 over the Elbe River delta and its surroundings. Different radar polarisations acquired by the satellite were mapped to the red, green and blue channels. As a result, those vibrant colours highlight different types of land cover such as urban areas, water bodies, and cultivated fields.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2025), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Sentinel-1B satellite lowered onto Fregat upper stage in preparation for the 22 April 2016 launch. This stage of the launch campaign took place on Thursday 14 April in the S3B preparation building of the Guiana Space Centre.
Once in orbit, it will provide radar images of Earth for Europe’s Copernicus environmental monitoring programme.
With the Sentinel-1 mission designed as a two-satellite constellation, Sentinel-1B will join its identical twin, Sentinel-1A, which was launched two years ago.
Credit: ESA–Manuel Pedoussaut, 2016
Sentinel-1A radar acquisition from 22 April 2014 showing Greece’s Attica region, with mountainous areas and the capital and largest city of Athens near the centre. In the water, different shades of blue indicate different types of sea surface, influenced by currents and waves. The image was acquired in ‘interferometric wide swath’ mode and with a dual polarisation in VV and VH. Colours were assigned to different types of radar polarisations.
Credit: ESA
Sentinel-1B lifted off on a Soyuz rocket, flight VS14, from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on 25 April 21:02 GMT (23:02 CEST). With the Sentinel-1 mission designed as a two-satellite constellation, Sentinel-1B will join its identical twin, Sentinel-1A, which was launched two years ago from Kourou. Both satellites carry an advanced radar that images Earth’s surface through cloud and rain regardless of whether it is day or night. By orbiting 180° apart, global coverage and data delivery are optimised for the environmental monitoring Copernicus programme. The mission provides radar imagery for a multitude of services and applications to improve everyday life and understand our changing planet.
Three CubeSats piggybacked a ride on Soyuz. These small satellites, each measuring just 10×10×11 cm, have been developed by university student teams through ESA’s Fly Your Satellite! effort. The other passenger is the Microscope satellite from France’s CNES space agency.
Credit: ESA–Manuel Pedoussaut, 2016
Combining two Sentinel-1A radar scans from 17 and 29 April 2015, this interferogram shows changes on the ground that occurred during the 25 April earthquake that struck Nepal. An overall area of 120x100 km has moved – half of that uplifted and the other half, north of Kathmandu subsided. Vertical accuracy is a few cm.
Credit: Contains Copernicus data (2015)/ESA/Norut/PPO.labs/COMET–ESA SEOM INSARAP study
Soyuz VS07 with ESA’s Sentinel-1A satellite lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 23:02:26 CEST (21:02:26 GMT) on 3 April 2014.
Credit: ESA–S. Corvaja, 2014
Copernicus Sentinel-1C standing proud on its payload adapter between the two fairing halves that will protect the spacecraft on the launch pad and on its ascent towards space.
Sentinel-1C, the third satellite in the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, is set to launch in December 2024 on a Vega-C rocket from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.
Credits: ESA - M. Pédoussaut
This image from Sentinel-1A’s radar brings us over Indonesia’s Central Kalimantan province on the island of Borneo.
Surrounded by the South China Sea, Borneo was once part of mainland Asia, but rising sea levels following the end of the last Ice Age submerged the surrounding low-lying areas. Its rainforest is among the oldest and most diverse in the world, and home to a variety of plant and animal species, including the Borneo orangutan, Asian elephant and Sumatran rhinoceros.
Running through the image we can see the Sampit River, with the timber town and port of the same name located in the lower left. The surrounding area is dominated by peat swamp forest, where waterlogged soil prevents dead leaves and wood from fully decomposing, creating a layer of acidic peat over time.
This image was captured on 22 March by Sentinel-1A’s radar in Interferometric Wide swath mode and in ‘dual polarisation’ horizontal and vertical radar pulses. Different colours show different types of land cover, such as dark blue for the water. Varying tones of the same colour represent a difference in the state of land cover, such as the varying shades of orange of the planted areas showing younger versus older vegetation.
Borneo’s natural resources have tremendous social and economic value at local, national and global levels. But the island has experienced extreme deforestation in recent decades through logging, plantation development, mining and forest fires.
Satellites can be used to monitor the impact of these activities, and assist in sustainable development.
This image is also featured on the Earth from Space video programme. www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2015/06/Earth_from_Space...
The Pico do Fogo volcano on Cape Verde’s Fogo island erupted on 23 November 2014 and showed continuing volcanic activity in the days following. By processing two Sentinel-1A radar images, which were acquired on 3 November and 27 November 2014, this interferogram was generated. Deformation on the ground causes phase changes in radar signals that appear as the rainbow-coloured patterns.
Results like these are being used by Earth scientists to help them map the volcano’s subsurface magmatic system, perform geophysical modelling of the volcanic eruption mechanics, and assist the relief efforts on the ground. With this stunning result, the great potential of Sentinel-1 for geophysical applications has been once again unequivocally demonstrated.
Read more:
Fogo volcano on Sentinel's Radar
Credit: Copernicus data (2014)/ESA/Norut-PPO.labs–COMET-SEOM InSARap study
ESA’s Vega-C rocket is complete on the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport and ready for liftoff, set for 4 December. The final element of the rocket, that includes the Sentinel-1C satellite that will be launched into space was installed on top of the 35-m launcher on 29 November – like a cherry on a cake.
On launch day, the first three Vega-C stages will fire, burn through their fuel and be expended in rapid succession, enabling the rocket to reach space in just eight minutes. The fourth stage with Sentinel-1C will orbit Earth and prepare for release an hour and fifty minutes after liftoff.
Although the components are stacked and ready on the launch pad, technicians are connecting, checking and testing right up until launch day. A final ‘launch readiness review’ will be held the day before liftoff, authorising Vega-C to be ignited and return to the skies.
Credits: ESA-Manuel Pedoussaut
Soyuz VS14 in the mobile gantry after liquid fuel transfer on 24 April 2016.
The Soyuz VS14 mission launching from the Guiana Space Center carries into orbit the Sentinel-1B satellite for the European Commission’s Copernicus Earth Observation Program. In addition to the primary payload, the mission is carrying the MicroSCOPE Satellite and three CubeSats to orbit.
Once in orbit, Sentinel-1B will provide radar images of Earth for Europe’s Copernicus environmental monitoring programme.
With the Sentinel-1 mission designed as a two-satellite constellation, Sentinel-1B will join its identical twin, Sentinel-1A, which was launched two years ago.
Credit: ESA–Manuel Pedoussaut, 2016
Soyuz VS14 in the mobile gantry after liquid fuel transfer on 24 April 2016.
The Soyuz VS14 mission launching from the Guiana Space Center carries into orbit the Sentinel-1B satellite for the European Commission’s Copernicus Earth Observation Program. In addition to the primary payload, the mission is carrying the MicroSCOPE Satellite and three CubeSats to orbit.
Once in orbit, Sentinel-1B will provide radar images of Earth for Europe’s Copernicus environmental monitoring programme.
With the Sentinel-1 mission designed as a two-satellite constellation, Sentinel-1B will join its identical twin, Sentinel-1A, which was launched two years ago.
Credit: ESA–Manuel Pedoussaut, 2016
Sentinel-1B satellite being encapsulated within its Soyuz fairing in preparation for the 22 April 2016 launch. This stage of the launch campaign took place on Friday 15 April in the S3B preparation building of the Guiana Space Centre.
Once in orbit, it will provide radar images of Earth for Europe’s Copernicus environmental monitoring programme.
With the Sentinel-1 mission designed as a two-satellite constellation, Sentinel-1B will join its identical twin, Sentinel-1A, which was launched two years ago.
More about Sentinel-1:
Credit: ESA–Manuel Pedoussaut, 2016
View of Vega-C rocket, flight VV25, on the launch pad at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, 4 December 2024.
Sentinel-1C is the third Sentinel-1 satellite to be launched as part of Europe’s Copernicus programme. It will continue the critical task of delivering radar imagery for a wide range of services, applications and science – all of which benefit society.
Vega-C is a single-body rocket nearly 35 m high with that weighs 210 tonnes on the launch pad. Vega-C can launch about 2300 kg in a reference 700 km-polar orbit. Using a new range of payload carriers, Vega-C can accommodate a mix of cargo shapes and sizes, ranging from CubeSats to a large single payload.
Credits: ESA–S. Corvaja
Soyuz VS14 upper composite hoisted to the top of the service tower in preparation for the 22 April 2016 launch.
The Soyuz VS14 mission launching from the Guiana Space Center carries into orbit the Sentinel-1B satellite for the European Commission’s Copernicus Earth Observation Program. In addition to the primary payload, the mission is carrying the MicroSCOPE Satellite and three CubeSats to orbit.
Once in orbit, Sentinel-1B will provide radar images of Earth for Europe’s Copernicus environmental monitoring programme.
With the Sentinel-1 mission designed as a two-satellite constellation, Sentinel-1B will join its identical twin, Sentinel-1A, which was launched two years ago.
More about Sentinel-1:
Credit: ESA–Manuel Pedoussaut, 2016
On 19 November 2024 at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, Earth-observer Sentinel-1C and its payload adapter were encapsulated inside the Vega-C rocket fairing that will protect the spacecraft on the launch pad and on its ascent towards space.
Earth-observer Sentinel-1C is set to launch on Vega-C rocket flight VV25. At 35 m tall, Vega-C weighs 210 tonnes on the launch pad and reaches orbit with three solid-propellant-powered stages before the fourth liquid-propellant stage takes over for precise placement of Sentinel-1C into its orbit.
The fairing is a nose-cone that splits vertically in two once the rocket has passed Earth's atmosphere, revealing Sentinel-1C to space. Vega-C's fairing is 3.3 m in diameter and over 9 m tall.
Carrying advanced radar technology to provide an all-weather, day-and-night supply of imagery of Earth’s surface, the ambitious Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission has raised the bar for spaceborne radar.
The mission benefits numerous Copernicus services and applications such as those that relate to Arctic sea-ice monitoring, iceberg tracking, routine sea-ice mapping, glacier-velocity monitoring, surveillance of the marine environment including oil-spill monitoring and ship detection for maritime security as well as illegal fisheries monitoring.
Europe’s Vega-C rocket can launch 2300 kg into space, such as small scientific and Earth observation spacecraft. Vega-C is the evolution of the Vega family of rockets and delivers increased performance, greater payload volume and improved competitiveness.
Credits: ESA - M. Pédoussaut
Sentinel-1A interferogram over Kathmandu, Nepal, showing deformation induced by the 25 April 2015 earthquake. East–west ‘fringes’ cross the city, with each coloured fringe corresponding to 2.8 cm of ground displacement (both uplift and subsidence). The interferogram combines two Sentinel-1A images from 17 and 29 April 2015.
Credit: Contains Copernicus data (2015)/R. Grandin/IPGP/CNRS
The Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves are situated in West Antarctica. These huge ice shelves are fed by numerous glaciers flowing towards the Amundsen Sea. However, some of these glaciers are among the fastest-changing in West Antarctica, with some moving and thinning faster than others. The grounding line, the point at which glaciers on land transition to ice shelves and start to float, of both ice shelves is retreating – which can cause instability and even faster flow of the ice sheet towards the ocean.
New research, largely using Copernicus Sentinel-1 data, shows that one of the upstream glaciers, the fast-flowing Kohler East glacier is rapidly siphoning ice from a neighbouring flow – at a pace never before seen.
Credits: ESA
Acquired on 12 April 2014 at 17:18 GMT (19:18 CEST), just nine days after launch, this first image from Sentinel-1A captures Brussels and surrounds in Belgium. It was acquired in the satellite’s ‘strip map’ mode, which has a swath width of 80 km, and in dual polarisation. The image also shows a more detailed view of the city in the ‘zoom in’. Antwerp harbour is also visible in the top left. The green colours correspond to vegetation, red–blue to urban areas, white to high-density urban areas and black to waterways and low-reflective areas such as airport runways.
ESA’s Vega-C rocket is complete on the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport and ready for liftoff, set for 4 December. The final element of the rocket, that includes the Sentinel-1C satellite that will be launched into space was installed on top of the 35-m launcher on 29 November – like a cherry on a cake.
Credits: ESA-Manuel Pedoussaut
This image was acquired by the satellite's onboard camera on 4 April, just hours after Sentinel-1A entered orbit on 3 April 2014. It shows the top side of one of two deployed solar array wings as well as part of the radar antenna.
The solar wings and radar antenna opened together in a specific sequence that took around 10 hours to complete. As one of most critical stages in the life of the mission, it was choreographed by engineers on the ground and took place exactly as planned.
The sequence also allowed power from the wings to be available as soon as possible so that the satellite was independent.