As preparations for the launch of the first satellite for Copernicus continue on track, the team at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana has said farewell to Sentinel-1A as it was sealed from view within the rocket fairing. Liftoff is set for 21:02 GMT (23:02 CEST) on Thursday.
As preparations for the launch of the first satellite for Copernicus continue on track, the team at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana has said farewell to Sentinel-1A as it was sealed from view within the rocket fairing. Liftoff is set for 21:02 GMT (23:02 CEST) on Thursday.
Marking another milestone on the road to launch, the Soyuz rocket has been rolled out and raised on the launch pad.
Thursday's launch will also mark a new era in Earth observation for operational applications. As meteorological satellites provide routine observations for weather forecasting, the Sentinel missions will feed environmental services through Europe's Copernicus programme.
This first Sentinel satellite carries an advanced radar to scan Earth's surface in all weather conditions and regardless of whether it is day or night.