Sentinel-3A

Sentinel-3A
Vector drawing of the Sentinel-3
Mission typeEarth observation
OperatorESA · EUMETSAT
COSPAR ID2016-011A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.41335
WebsiteSentinel-3 (ESA)
Mission durationPlanned: 7 years[1]
Elapsed: 8 years, 9 months, 9 days
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeSentinel-3
BusPrima
ManufacturerThales Alenia Space[2]
Launch mass1,250 kg (2,760 lb)[3]
Dry mass1,150 kg (2,540 lb)[4]
Dimensions3.9 × 2.2 × 2.2 m (12.8 × 7.2 × 7.2 ft)[3]
Power2,300 watts[3]
Start of mission
Launch date16 February 2016, 17:57 (2016-02-16UTC17:57) UTC[5]
RocketRokot/Briz-KM
Launch sitePlesetsk Cosmodrome, Site 133
ContractorEurockot Launch Services
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeSun-synchronous
Semi-major axis7,182.47 km (4,462.98 mi)
Eccentricity0.000309
Perigee altitude802.12 km (498.41 mi)
Apogee altitude806.56 km (501.17 mi)
Inclination98.62°
Period100.97 min
RAAN117.18°
Argument of perigee86.80°
Mean motion14.26 rev/day
Repeat interval27 days[6]
Epoch17 February 2016, 18:53:04 UTC[7]
Transponders
BandS band (TT&C support)
X band (science data)
BandwidthS band: 64 kbit/s uplink, 1 Mbit/s downlink
X band: 2 × 280 Mbit/s[1]

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 four planned Sentinel-3 satellites. Its sister satellite, Sentinel-3B, launched on 25 April 2018. After completing initial commissioning, each satellite was handed over to EUMETSAT for the routine operations phase of the mission. Two recurrent satellites - Sentinel-3C and Sentinel-3D - will follow in approximately 2025 and 2028 respectively to ensure continuity of the Sentinel-3 mission.

  1. ^ a b "Sentinel-3 › Satellite Description". European Space Agency. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  2. ^ "Sentinel-3A arrived at launch site" (Press release). Thales Alenia Space. 2 December 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "Copernicus: Sentinel-3". eoPortal. European Space Agency. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  4. ^ "Satellite: Sentinel-3A". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference nsf20160216 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Sentinel-3 › Mission Summary". European Space Agency. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  7. ^ "Sentinel 3A - Orbit". Heavens Above. 17 February 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2016.