NASA is targeting 12:17 p.m. EST (9:17 a.m. PST) Saturday, Nov. 21, for the launch of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, the first of two identical satellites to head into Earth orbit five years apart to continue sea level observations for at least the next decade.
Live launch coverage will begin at 11:45 a.m. EST (8:45 a.m. PST), on NASA Television and the agencys website, with prelaunch and science briefings the day before on Nov. 20.
Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will head into orbit on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. The launch is managed by NASAs Launch Services Program, based at the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California manages the agency's contribution to the mission.
The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite is named in honor of the former director of NASA's Earth Science Division, who was instrumental in advancing space-based ocean measurements. It follows the most recent U.S.-European sea level observation satellite, Jason-3, which launched in 2016, and is currently providing high-precision and timely observations of the topography of the global ocean.
The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission, consisting of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich and Sentinel-6B satellites, is being jointly developed by ESA (European Space Agency), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), NASA, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with funding support from the European Commission and support from France's National Centre for Space Studies (CNES).
The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Unions Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the worlds oceans, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich's twin, Sentinel-6B, is scheduled to launch in 2025.
NASA's contributions to the Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission are three science instruments for each of the two satellites: the Advanced Microwave Radiometer, the Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation, and the Laser Retroreflector Array. NASA is also contributing launch services, ground systems supporting operation of the NASA science instruments, the science data processors for two of these instruments, and support for the U.S. members of the international Ocean Surface Topography Science Team.
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, all media participation in news conferences will be remote. A phone bridge will be provided for each briefing.
