Sentinel-1C is the latest addition to the Copernicus Sentinels family. Launched on 5 December 2024, the new satellite was successfully onboarded into ESA’s Operational Framework (EOF), which supports the Copernicus Space Component (EOF-CSC) routine operations for Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, Sentinel-3 (Land), and Sentinel-5P satellites.
Sentinel-1C is the latest addition to the Copernicus Sentinels family. Launched on 5 December 2024, the new satellite was successfully onboarded into ESA’s Operational Framework (EOF), which supports the Copernicus Space Component (EOF-CSC) routine operations for Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, Sentinel-3 (Land), and Sentinel-5P satellites.
Vega-C and Sentinel-1C take to the skies
Copyright:ESA–S. Corvaja
Revolutionising ground observation with SAR
Much like its twin sibling Sentinel-1A, Sentinel-1C is equipped with a C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument. This cutting-edge technology enables the satellite to deliver high-resolution imagery day and night, in all weather conditions, supporting critical applications such as environmental management and climate change research.
SAR data are also the most effective method for tracking land subsidence and structural damage. Systematic observations and interferometric capabilities detect ground movement that is barely noticeable in everyday life. SAR data shed light on these movements, helping us monitor shifts caused by earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic uplift. Additionally, land managers use SAR images to prepare subsidence risk assessments, which are helpful for monitoring geohazards in mines and planning construction in cities.
First images in a snap
Less than a week after launch, the Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite delivered its first radar images of Earth. These images provide a glimpse into the mission’s capabilities and already demonstrate an exceptional level of quality, highlighting the outstanding efforts of all the teams involved over the past years in ESA, and throughout industries.
The first image, captured just 57 hours after the satellite liftoff, features Svalbard, a remote Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. These initial Sentinel-1C images were swiftly and seamlessly processed by the EOF-CSC. This team is responsible for the planning, acquisition, processing, archiving and dissemination of Sentinels data.
Sentinel-1C’s first image featuring Svalbard, Norway
Copyright:Copernicus Sentinel data (2024), processed by ESA
A key piece of the puzzle
Successfully building and launching a new satellite are crucial aspects of any Earth Observation mission. However, a mission’s success critically depends on the ability to operate the satellite from the ground.
It is also key that teams on the ground can retrieve and process high quality data from said missions and deliver them quickly to users.
One of the pillars of the Copernicus Programme is the systematic, open and free provision of satellite data, which are made available by the EOF-CSC, fuelling the Copernicus services and providing a reliable and growing data stream for an ecosystem of numerous new applications.
Until recently, each Copernicus satellite mission had its own ground segment infrastructure that operated independently. In 2021, this model changed as ESA transitioned towards a data-centric, service-oriented architecture for the Copernicus Operational Framework.
Establishing harmonised interfaces across industrial services, ESA has transformed the Copernicus Ground Segment into an operational framework of services, the EOF-CSC. This framework manages the operations of all active Sentinel-1/-2/-3/-5P satellites, while also facilitating the onboarding of recurrent satellite units and new missions.
Onboarding Sentinel-1C
Onboarding a new satellite is never an easy task. New missions bring great capabilities, but when they are launched, ground control teams need to create synergies across existing ones. Ground Segment teams must configure existing services, as well as develop, evolve, and integrate any necessary satellite-specific elements. This approach optimises the time and cost of preparing new satellites for entry into operations. It also maintains sufficient flexibility to cope with changes in recurrent units or new mission characteristics.
The smooth planning of the Sentinel-1C satellite observations, followed by swift end-to-end ground operations, ensured the availability of high-quality images in the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem during the commissioning phase. This success confirms the robustness of the Copernicus Ground Segment and its underlying operations model.
The preparatory activity has greatly benefited from the standardised on-boarding approach, with clearly defined procedures and well-known interface points, resulting not only in smooth testing but also in agile configuration of each service of the framework.
Immediately following launch and still during the early operations phase (LEOP), Sentinel-1C crossed the visibility mask of the Matera Ground Station (Italy) for its first contact with the ground, to downlink science data.
Close coordination between ESA’s space segment, Flight Operations Segment (FOS) teams at ESA/ESOC, and the EOF-CSC teams skilfully orchestrated by the coordination desk service team on the spot in Matera, allowed to swiftly perform all the satellite downlinks smoothly and efficiently.
e-GEOS in Matera during acquisition of first Sentinel-1C downlink
Copyright:ESA
Everything had also been carefully prepared by the Sentinel-1C Production Service and Instrument Processors teams, ready to manage the first Sentinel-1C SAR data acquisitions. The teams worked tirelessly, around the clock, to support the smooth flow of data processing and dissemination.
‘It was a great success to witness the compatibility of the new satellite data and interfaces within the EOF CSC, proving the success of Sentinel-1C and the EOF-CSC on-boarding scheme,’ said Andrea Perrera, Ground Segment Operations Manager.
These initial results not only demonstrated unprecedent data quality for the first SAR acquisitions, processed and delivered directly by the Copernicus Operational Framework, but they also showcased the benefits and the robustness of the Copernicus operations teams.
They were able to onboard new satellite units into the existing operational framework, almost in parallel to the commissioning of other units, namely Sentinel-2C, while still managing the routine operations of the other Sentinels.
This achievement highlights the exceptional work and professionalism of all industrial service teams involved in the EOF-CSC, whose contributions are instrumental to this endeavour.
Looking forward
The Sentinel-1C satellite is currently undergoing commissioning operations, where its capabilities and performance are measured, verified and fine-tuned “in-flight”, before it can join the family of the other Sentinel satellites in routine operations.
By the end of this initial phase, Sentinel-1C data products and their quality will have been tested to support the mission operational objectives. These products will also allow the new satellite twin to join its sibling in once again achieving a 6-day revisit time for the constellation, in routine operations.
Release of preliminary Copernicus Sentinel-1C sample dataset
Following the successful launch of the Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite in December 2024, and the publication of its first images, the spacecraft has undergone a series of manoeuvres to reach its designated orbital node, allowing to start the SAR commissioning activities in mid-January 2025.
As the satellite commissioning activities are proceeding, we are pleased to announce that an initial set of Sentinel-1C products are now available on the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem to all users.
These products can be identified by selecting ‘S1C’ in the search criteria.
Detailed information on the quality of these initial data is available on Sentinel-1 MPC Quality Disclaimer #259.
Please note that further quality enhancements are expected during the satellite commissioning phase.