Three hours before launch on the 25 April 2018, the Rockot launcher with Sentinel-3B is undergoing the last preparations before liftoff from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in Russia.Once safely in orbit and fully commissioned, this new satellite will begin its mission to map Earth’s oceans and land surfaces. Its identical twin, Sentinel-3A, has been in orbit since February 2016. The two-satellite constellation offers optimum global coverage and data delivery for Europe’s Copernicus environment programme.
Credits: ESA - S. Corvaja
Tags: ESA European Space Agency Space Universe Cosmos Space Science Science Space Technology Tech Technology Earth from Space Observing the Earth Earth Observation Satellite image Copernicus Sentinel Rocket Rockot lift off Launch Plesetsk Russia
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The start of the unloading of Sentinel-3A from the Antonov aircraft at Arkhangelsk, Russia, prior to shipment by rail to the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, on 28 November 2015.
The mission is the result of close collaboration between ESA, the European Commission, Eumetsat, France’s CNES space agency, industry, service providers and data users. The satellite will systematically measure Earth’s oceans, land, ice and atmosphere to monitor and understand large-scale global dynamics. It will provide critical near-realtime information for ocean and weather forecasting.
Credit: ESA
Tags: Sentinel-3A Satellite Russia
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Sentinel-3A satellite encapsulated within its Rockot fairing, on 9 February 2016, at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia.
Once safely in orbit and fully commissioned, this new satellite will begin its mission to map Earth’s oceans and land surfaces with its powerful optical and radar systems. The Sentinel-3 mission is set to play a key role in the world’s largest environmental monitoring programme – Copernicus.
Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2016
Tags: Sentinel-3A Rockot fairing Plesetsk Copernicus launch campaign Earth Observation
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Sentinel-3A satellite in Cannes, France, on 14 October 2015, before being packed up and shipped to Russia for launch.
Sentinel-3 will measure sea-surface topography, sea and land-surface temperature, and ocean and land-surface colour, in support of ocean and weather forecasting systems. Over land, this innovative mission will map the way land is used, study vegetation and measure the heights of rivers and lakes. In addition, it will detect and monitor wildfires. Sentinel-3A is the third satellite to be launched for Europe's Copernicus environmental monitoring programme. An industrial consortium led by prime contractor Thales Alenia Space built the satellite.
Sentinel-3A will be launched in December 2015 on a Rockot from Plesetsk in Russia.
Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2015
Tags: Sentinel-3A Cannes FRANCE Thales Alenia Space clean room
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The Sentinel-3A satellite caught this image of a dust storm blowing east across the Red Sea on 25 July 2016.
Dust storms, or sandstorms, are usually the result of a large mass of cold air moving swiftly across dry ground covered with loose sand and silt. They are remarkable natural phenomena that can cause major ecological and agricultural damage.
Dust storms can be a major contributor to reduced air quality and can cause hazards to human health. Windborne dust particles can invade our respiratory system’s natural defences and lodge in the bronchial tubes, increasing the number and severity of asthma attacks, causing or aggravating bronchitis and reducing the body’s ability to fight infections.
Other visible features include the Nile River on the upper left side of the image, and the orange sands of the Arabian Desert in the upper right.
Sentienl-3 carries a suite of instruments to monitor Earth’s oceans, land, ice and atmosphere for Europe’s Copernicus programme. This image was captured by the Ocean and Land Colour Instrument.
Credit: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2016), processed by ESA
Tags: Dust storm Red Sea Sentinel-3A sandstorm Copernicus satellite image Arabian Desert
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