The first satellite in the European Space Agency ’s newfangled Earth - monitoring Sentinel deputation is already sending exposure home . The first pic are of solid ground use in Belgium , implosion therapy in Namibia , and icy retreat and acres cover song monitoring in Antarctica .
Land Use in Belgium
The first figure from Sentinel-1A : solid ground economic consumption around Brussels , Belgium . Image credit : ESA
Just nine days after launch , the Modern Sentinel satellite is up and capturing images . The very first image is a multispectral effigy captured in funnies - mode . The wavelength are mapped so that vegetation is fleeceable , and urban areas are red - blue , high - density urban area ( like Brussels and Antwerp haven ) are white , and waterways or other low - reflectivity areas like airport runways are black .
Flooding in Namibia
Radar image of the Zambezi River , include implosion therapy on the Caprivi plain . Image credit : ESA
This 250 - kilometer wide swath of radar data catch the extent of flooding on the Caprivi plain from the Zambezi River , and a bloom at Victoria Falls far east along the river . The radiolocation image was acquired at 03:50 GMT , download 2 hour later , process and available less than an hr after that . While capturing especial location still reckon on the satellite being in the ripe place at the right time , the quick timeline from acquisition to bring out pair with the power to take radiolocation imagery in any atmospheric condition conditions Clarence Day or not illustrates the utility of Sentinel-1 for fend for calamity reply .
Glacial Retreat in Antarctica
Radar image of gelid hideaway and iceberg lettuce calving in West Antarctica . figure of speech credit : ESA
The Pine Island Glacier and Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica are in irreversible retreat — this radar image of more calving icebergs is nothing raw . However , the mission will be able to track how apace these change are happening , monitor sea ice extent , and track icebergs .
Land Cover Monitoring in Antarctica
difference in microwave radar reflectivity of rock , methamphetamine hydrochloride , and water system in Antarctica . Image credit : ESA
This northerly transect of the Antarctica Peninsula uses dual polarisation to detect how unlike textile reflect radar to unlike extent .
The Sentinel Mission
Sentinel-1A radar antenna undergoing frequency tests in an anechoic test chamber . Image credit : ESA
Sentinel-1 is the first of a series of six missionary station . Each mission do a different function , and while robotlike , none of them seems directly related to hunting mutants :
Sentinel-1is a distich of planet with radio detection and ranging imaging systems in polar electron orbit , capable of all - atmospheric condition mensuration over land and ocean day or night . These orbiter will assist monitor sea - Methedrine , oil spills , and ship spotting , landslide - risk , and solid ground use , and supply imagery for calamity reply .

Sentinel-2is pair of satellite with a multispectral high - resolution imaging systems in opposite orbit . They will efficaciously beLandsat - style orbiter , used to track acres use , botany tension , soil and H2O cover , or orbiter imagery for emergency reply .
Sentinel-4is an atmospherical monitoring freight that will be loaded onto a Meteosat Third Generation - Sounder ( MTG - S ) satellite in geostationary orbit .
Sentinel-5 Precursoris an atmospheric monitoring mission still under development that will fill in the data - gap before Sentinel-5 makes it into area .

Sentinel-5is an atmospherical monitoring payload that will be laden onto a MetOp Second Generation satellite in polar domain .
Sentinel-6 is a radar altimeter that will be used to measure globular sea - surface height . The aim is to bring home the bacon data for in operation oceanography and climate studies .
Sentinel-1A launched on 10 April 2025 on a Russian Soyuz garden rocket . Image credit : ESA

The launch of Sentinel-1A mark the first mission of the newCopernicus political platform . Copernicus is an Earth observation computer programme , contrive to provide exact , timely , and accessible data point to well see our changing planet . The programme incorporates the raw Sentinels satellites , but also in - situ sensors on in the primer coat , sea , and air . The information are grouped into six thematic categories : Din Land direction , the marine environment , atmosphere , emergency response , security measure and climate change . The overall objective is to provide mensuration forenvironmental direction , trailing and mitigating the issue ofclimate change , and civic security measure for the European Union , and to contribute to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems ( GEOSS ) .
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