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Sentinel Overview

missions - sentinel overview

ESA developed a series of next-generation Earth observation missions, on behalf of the joint ESA/European Commission initiative Copernicus.

The goal of the Sentinel programme is to replace the older Earth observation missions which have retired, such as the ERS and Envisat missions, or are currently nearing the end of their operational life span. This will ensure a continuity of data so that there are no gaps in ongoing studies.

Each mission focuses on a different aspect of Earth observation; Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Land monitoring, and the data is of use in many applications.

For mission planning information, see the Copernicus Mission pages.

Sentinel Missions

Sentinel Missions home
Sentinel-1
Sentinel-1

With the objectives of Land and Ocean monitoring, Sentinel-1 will be composed of two polar-orbiting satellites operating day and night, and will perform Radar imaging, enabling them to acquire imagery regardless of the weather. The first Sentinel-1 satellite was launched in April 2014.

Sentinel-2
Sentinel-2

The objective of Sentinel-2 is land monitoring, and the mission will be composed of two polar-orbiting satellites providing high-resolution optical imagery. Vegetation, soil and coastal areas are among the monitoring objectives. The first Sentinel-2 satellite was launched in June 2015.

Sentinel-3
Sentinel-3

The primary objective of Sentinel-3 is marine observation, and it will study sea-surface topography, sea and land surface temperature, ocean and land colour. Composed of three satellites, the mission's primary instrument is a radar altimeter, but the polar-orbiting satellites will carry multiple instruments, including optical imagers.

Sentinel-4
Sentinel-4

Sentinel-4 is dedicated to air quality monitoring. The Sentinel-4 UVN instrument is a spectrometer carried aboard Meteosat Third Generation satellites, operated by EUMETSAT. The mission aims to provide continuous monitoring of the composition of the Earth's atmosphere at high temporal and spatial resolution and the data will be used to support monitoring and forecasting over Europe.

MetOp spacecraft
Sentinel-5

Sentinel-5 is dedicated to air quality monitoring. The Sentinel-5 UVNS instrument is a spectrometer carried aboard the MetOp Second Generation satellites. The mission aims to provide continuous monitoring of the composition of the Earth's atmosphere. It provides wide-swath, global coverage data to monitor air quality around the world.

Sentinel-5P
Sentinel-5P
A precursor satellite mission, Sentinel-5P aims to fill in the data gap and provide data continuity between the retirement of the Envisat satellite and NASA's Aura mission and the launch of Sentinel-5. The main objective of the Sentinel-5P mission is to perform atmospheric measurements, with high spatio-temporal resolution, relating to air quality, climate forcing, ozone and UV radiation. The satellite was successfully launched on 13 October 2017 from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in Russia.
Sentinel-6
Sentinel-6
Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich is the next radar altimetry reference mission to extend the legacy of sea-surface height measurements, until at least 2030. It is an Earth Observation satellite mission developed to provide enhanced continuity to the very stable time series of mean sea level measurements and ocean sea state that started in 1992, with the TOPEX/Poseidon mission.