The Copernicus Sentinel-6 mission: Enhanced continuity of satellite sea level measurements from space

Autor: Robert Knockaert, Andrew Hyslop, Eric Pourier, William Simpson, Alejandro Egido, Robert Cullen, Shailen D. Desai, James Mulcahy, Jesus Rancaño, Parag Vaze, Remko Scharroo, C. Richard Francis, Pascal Bonnefond, J. K. Willis, Gilles Tavernier, Christopher Hunter, Nicolas Picot, Pierrik Vuilleumier, Craig Donlon, Luisella Giulicchi, Sophie Le Gac, Mieke Kuschnerus, Shannon Brown, Alan Webb, Marco Fornari, Mauro Caleno, Cristina Martin-Puig, Abderrazak Bouridah, Roberta Bertoni, Jean-Damien Desjonquères, Eric Leuliette, Walter H. F. Smith
Přispěvatelé: European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), European Space Agency (ESA), California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), NOAA Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR), NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Systèmes de Référence Temps Espace (SYRTE), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Remote Sensing of Environment
Remote Sensing of Environment, Elsevier, 2021, 258, pp.112395. ⟨10.1016/j.rse.2021.112395⟩
Remote Sensing of Environment: an interdisciplinary journal, 258
ISSN: 0034-4257
1879-0704
Popis: International audience; Given the considerable range of applications within the European Union Copernicus system, sustained satellite altimetry missions are required to address operational, science and societal needs. This article describes the Copernicus Sentinel-6 mission that is designed to provide precision sea level, sea surface height, significant wave height, inland water heights and other products tailored to operational services in the ocean, climate, atmospheric and land Copernicus Services. Sentinel-6 provides enhanced continuity to the very stable time series of mean sea level measurements and ocean sea state started in 1992 by the TOPEX/Poseidon mission and follow-on Jason-1, Jason-2 and Jason-3 satellite missions. The mission is implemented through a unique international partnership with contributions from NASA, NOAA, ESA, EUMETSAT, and the European Union (EU). It includes two satellites that will fly sequentially (separated in time by 5 years). The first satellite, named Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, launched from Vandenburg Air Force Base, USA on 21st November 2020. The satellite and payload elements are explained including required performance and their operation. The main payload is the Poseidon-4 dual frequency (C/Ku-band) nadir-pointing radar altimeter that uses an innovative interleaved mode. This enables radar data processing on two parallel chains the first provides synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processing in Ku-band to improve the received altimeter echoes through better along-track sampling and reduced measurement noise; the second provides a Low Resolution Mode that is fully backward-compatible with the historical reference altimetry measurements, allowing a complete inter-calibration between the state-of-the-art data and the historical record. A three-channel Advanced Microwave Radiometer for Climate (AMRsingle bondC) provides measurements of atmospheric water vapour to mitigate degradation of the radar altimeter measurements. The main data products are explained and preliminary in-orbit Poseidon-4 altimeter data performance data are presented that demonstrate the altimeter to be performing within expectations.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz: