France: Sentinel-1A, Europe’s first satellite for Copernicus, is almost ready for launch on 3 April. Meanwhile, European Space Agency (ESA) is showing how its advanced radar will map ice and monitor subsidence.
Marking a new era in Earth observation focusing on operational applications, Sentinel-1A is set to deliver timely imagery for numerous Copernicus services. The Sentinel-1mission comprises two identical satellites for optimal global coverage and data delivery. Sentinel-1B will join Sentinel-1A in orbit next year.
Canada’s Radarsat-2 was recently programmed by MacDonald Dettweiler & Associates to scan Earth’s surface using the same novel ‘interferometric’ wide-swath mode technique as Sentinel-1. Consequently, a suite of images was acquired over various sites.
An article on ESA’s website stated, “Carrying advanced radar, it will scan Earth’s surface no matter what the weather and regardless of whether it is day or night. In crisis situations, it will be used for rapid response to disasters such as floods and earthquakes. Its radar will routinely monitor shipping zones, map sea ice and provide information on winds and waves for marine traffic, track changes in the way land is being used, and monitor subsidence. It will also track how glaciers move, as shown in the image above of Petermann Glacier in northwest Greenland.”
Source: ESA
