EUMETSAT’s Mission Control Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, has officially taken control of the Copernicus Sentinel-6B satellite, just days after its launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA on 17 November.
After separation from the launcher, experts at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany checked the spacecraft’s health and guided it towards its nominal orbit.
With control now transferred to EUMETSAT’s flight operations team, Copernicus Sentinel-6B will slowly reach its nominal orbit at 1,336 kilometres above Earth in mid December. From that, it will fly in tandem with Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, just 30 seconds apart, for several months. Together, the two satellites will ensure precise cross-calibration before Sentinel-6B becomes the new international reference mission for ocean altimetry.
At its core, Copernicus Sentinel-6B carries the Poseidon-4 radar altimeter, which measures sea-surface height by timing radar pulses reflected off the ocean. These data reveal changes in sea level, wave height, and surface wind speed — key inputs for weather forecasting, coastal protection and climate monitoring.
“This handover marks the start of Copernicus Sentinel-6B’s operational journey”, said Julia Figa Saldana, Ocean Altimetry Programme Manager at EUMETSAT. “Together with our European and US partners, we will soon begin the commissioning and calibration phase to ensure the mission continues the legacy of high-precision ocean measurements on which scientists, forecasters, and decision-makers rely. Our immediate focus is on validating the scientific information provided by the satellite and preparing for operational data delivery.”
