Sentinel-3A

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Sentinel-3A
275px
Vector drawing of the Sentinel-3
Mission type Earth observation
Operator ESA · EUMETSAT
COSPAR ID 2016-011A
SATCAT № 41335
Website Sentinel-3 (ESA)
Mission duration Planned: 7 years[1]
Elapsed: Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist.
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type Sentinel-3
Bus Prima
Manufacturer Thales Alenia Space[2]
Launch mass 1,250 kg (2,760 lb)[3]
Dry mass 1,150 kg (2,540 lb)[4]
Dimensions 3.9 × 2.2 × 2.2 m (12.8 × 7.2 × 7.2 ft)[3]
Power 2,300 watts[3]
Start of mission
Launch date 16 February 2016, 17:57 (2016-02-16UTC17:57) UTC[5]
Rocket Rokot
Launch site Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Site 133
Contractor Eurockot Launch Services
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Sun-synchronous
Semi-major axis 7,182.47 km (4,462.98 mi)
Eccentricity 0.000309
Perigee 802.12 km (498.41 mi)
Apogee 806.56 km (501.17 mi)
Inclination 98.62°
Period 100.97 min
RAAN 117.18°
Argument of perigee 86.80°
Mean motion 14.26 rev/day
Repeat interval 27 days[6]
Epoch 17 February 2016, 18:53:04 UTC[7]
Transponders
Band S band (TT&C support)
X band (science data)
Bandwidth S band: 64 kbps uplink, 1 Mbps downlink
X band: 2 × 280 Mbps[1]
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Sentinel-3
Sentinel-3B →

Sentinel-3A is a European Space Agency Earth observation satellite dedicated to oceanography which launched on 16 February 2016.[5] It was built as a part of the Copernicus Programme, and is the first of three planned Sentinel-3 satellites.

Mission history

In October 2015, the Sentinel-3A launch was planned for December 2015,[8] but delays in transportation from Cannes to the Plesetsk Cosmodrome postponed the launch to January 2016.[9] The spacecraft arrived at Talagi Airport aboard an Antonov An-124 on 28 November.[10][11] By 17 December, Sentinel-3A completed pre-launch testing and was placed into storage for the Christmas break, lasting until 11 January 2016.[12] After the break, launch was scheduled for 4 February,[13] but while the spacecraft was being fuelled for launch, Khrunichev Space Center in Moscow determined that the launch pad needed to be recertified, resulting in a further delay.[14] Launch was eventually rescheduled for 16 February.[15]

Launch

Sentinel-3A was successfully launched on 16 February 2016 at 17:57 UTC from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome aboard a Rokot launch vehicle. The Briz-KM upper stage fired twice to insert the spacecraft into its intended 815 km (506 mi) orbit, first at 5 minutes and then at 75 minutes after launch. Spacecraft separation occurred at 79 minutes after launch, and ground controllers received the first communication from the vehicle at 92 minutes.[5][16]

Operations

The first instrument switched on was OLCI. It made its first picture on 29 February 2016, capturing Svalbard island along with a part of arctic ice pack near solar terminator.[17]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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