Deploying Sentinel-3C’s solar wing

Sentinel-3C, the third Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite in the series, is currently undergoing environmental tests in Thales Alenia Space’s cleanroom in Cannes, France. The teams has recently completed deployment of the solar arrays following acoustic testing.

Scheduled for launch later this year, Sentinel-3C will ensure continuity of the Sentinel-3 mission. The mission operates using two identical satellites to provide optimal global coverage and timely data delivery. For example, with a swath width of 1270 km, the Ocean and Land Colour Instrument achieves global coverage every two days. Sentinel-3C will eventually replace Sentinel-3A, launched in 2016, while Sentinel-3B followed in 2018.

Each satellite carries a suite of advanced instruments to systematically measure Earth’s oceans, land, ice and atmosphere to monitor and understand large-scale global dynamics. The mission provides essential information in near-real time for ocean and weather forecasting.