Facts and figures

Launch
Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich: 21 November 2020
Copernicus Sentinel-6B: 2025

Launcher
Falcon 9 from Vandenberg, California, US

Orbit
Polar, at altitude of 1336 km, inclined at 66 degrees

Revisit time
Every 10 days

Life
Minimum of 5.5 years (each satellite)

Dimensions
2.35 m × 4.17 m × 5.30 m

Mass
1191 kg (including 230 kg fuel)

Instruments
Poseidon-4 radar altimeter and a microwave radiometer supported by a precise orbit determination suite

Receiving stations
Scientific data and telemetry data transmitted to Kiruna (SE) and to Fairbanks (US)

Applications
To continue the long-term record of sea-surface height measurements and to provide data for operational oceanography and marine meteorology

Mission
Developed in international collaboration between ESA, NASA, Eumetsat, NOAA and the EU, with contributions from CNES

Funding
ESA, EU and Eumetsat with in-kind contributions from NASA

Prime contractors
Airbus Defence and Space (DE), with Thales Alenia Space (FR) for the altimeter