Before Sentinel-2A is packed up and shipped to French Guiana for its launch targeted on 12 June, media representatives and specialists got one last look at the second satellite for Europe's Copernicus programme.
At an event held at IABG in Munich - where the satellite has been undergoing testing since September of last year - project managers provided an update on the status of the satellite.
"I have a smile in my eyes because we are very close to finishing all the tests of Sentinel-2A," said Michael Menking from Airbus Defence and Space, the prime contractor leading the industrial consortium that built the satellite.
"All tests have proven that the satellite is doing what it was built to do. We are very close to preparing it for shipment - only two more tests remain."
Offering 'colour vision' for Europe's environmental monitoring Copernicus programme, Sentinel-2A combines high-resolution and novel multispectral capabilities - a first for ESA. With a 290 km-wide coverage path and frequent revisits, Sentinel-2 will deliver views of Earth's changing lands in unprecedented detail and accuracy.