Abstract's details

Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission overview

Bruno Lucas (EUMETSAT, Germany)

CoAuthors

Pierre Femenias (ESRIN/European Space Agency, Italy)

Event: 2023 Ocean Surface Topography Science Team Meeting

Session: OSTST Opening Plenary Session

Presentation type: Type Oral

Contribution: PDF file

Abstract:

The Copernicus Programme, being Europe’s Earth Observation and Monitoring Programme led by the European Union, aims to provide, on a sustainable basis, reliable and timely services related to environmental and security issues. The Sentinel-3 mission forms part of the Copernicus Space Component. Its main objectives are to measure water-surface topography, sea surface temperature, ocean surface color, as well as inland water surface height, sea-ice thickness, and land ice surface measurement, in support of ocean forecasting systems, and for environmental and climate monitoring.

The series of Sentinel-3 satellites ensures global, frequent, and near-real-time ocean, ice, sea-ice, and inland water monitoring, with the provision of observation data in a routine, long-term and continuous fashion, with a consistent quality and a high level of reliability and availability.

The Copernicus Sentinel-3 (S3) mission is today flying in constellation following the successful launch of the S3B satellite (April 2018) and associated commissioning phase. The first satellite, S3A, was launched in February 2016 and is nominally operated in routine phase since October 2017 along now with S3B, this latter being 140˚ ahead of S3A on the same orbit plane.

The Sentinel-3 mission is jointly operated by ESA and EUMETSAT. ESA is responsible for the operations, maintenance and evolution of the Sentinel-3 ground segment on LAND (Inland Waters, Sea-Ice, Cryosphere) and NTC atmospheric related products. EUMETSAT is responsible for the operations, maintenance and evolution of the Sentinel-3 ground segment on MARINE (Open Ocean, Polar Ocean and Coastal Zone) and NRT atmospheric products. EUMETSAT is also performing the spacecraft operations, planning and commanding.

This paper aims at presenting an overview of the S3 mission, with a focus on the Surface Topography Mission (STM) products, their associated performances, and an outlook on the Sentinel-3 C&D units.
 

Oral presentation show times:

Room Start Date End Date
Grande Beach Room (#208) Tue, Nov 07 2023,14:45 Tue, Nov 07 2023,15:00
Bruno Lucas
EUMETSAT
Germany
Bruno.Lucas@eumetsat.int