The Sentinel-3B satellite, which features systems built in the
UK, will join six other satellites monitoring and measuring the
Earth’s environment from space.
The majority of information they collect is freely available to
anyone in the world so it can be used for anything from
agriculture to urban planning, as well as tackling global issues
like climate change.
Ahead of the satellite’s launch from Russia’s Plesetsk Cosmodrome
due just before 7pm today (25 April), the European Space Agency
announced the UK has secured a number of contracts for future
work in the Copernicus programme.
Between Airbus UK and Thales Alenia Space, the UK has secured
more than €12 million worth of contracts, including important
work on two missions, Land Surface Temperature and the Polar
Microwave Imaging.
, Science Minister, said:
“The UK space sector is a success story and our capabilities in
Earth observation satellite technology are second to none. These
latest contracts confirm the vital role of British research,
innovation and industry to Copernicus.
“We’ve been clear that we want our companies and universities to
continue participating in key EU space programmes, as long as
they can take part on a fair and open basis. Our leading role in
the European Space Agency will not change as we leave the EU, and
this Government will ensure the UK thrives in the commercial
space age through our modern Industrial Strategy.”
The UK is also involved in three other missions; the L-band SAR
mission, which measures soil moisture and crops for food security
and precision farming, the Polar Ice and Snow Topographic Mission
and the Anthropogenic CO2 Monitoring Mission.
, Agricultural Minister,
said:
“I am delighted about today’s launch of Sentinel-3B, which will
further increase the ability of Copernicus to monitor changes in
sea level, marine pollution, and biological productivity. This
closely follows the launch of the British-built Sentinel-5P in
October, and reflects the growing success of the programme as the
world’s leading Earth Observation satellite system.
“The UK has one of the largest concentrations of Copernicus data
users in Europe. The satellite data is increasingly used by the
UK Government, especially the Department for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs, to monitor water and air quality, support
flood recovery efforts, and deliver farming support, for example.
It could also prove to be an immensely valuable tool in the
delivery of our 25 year Environment Plan – a strategic priority
for the UK Government.
“As the programme looks to the future, it is great to see UK
companies and users successfully driving the development of
Copernicus as it continues to grow in importance.”
Sentinel-3B is the seventh satellite in the Copernicus programme
and features several instruments, measuring colour and surface
temperature over the land and ocean. It will measure the
temperature, colour and height of the sea surface as well as the
thickness of sea ice. These measurements are used to monitor
changes in sea level, marine pollution and biological
productivity.
Ben Olivier, CEO of Thales Alenia Space in the UK, said:
“The importance of the Copernicus missions in securing our
ability to understand and help manage the impacts of the climate
on our environment, economy and sustainable development cannot be
over-stated.
“Thales Alenia Space in the UK is pleased to have secured the
lead role in the next expansion mission such as CO2 monitoring.
This reflects the engineering and scientific skills that the UK
contributes to collective progress and security.”
Over land, this innovative mission provides information to
monitor wildfires, map the way land is used, observe vegetation
state and measure the height of rivers and lakes – complementing
the high-resolution measurements of its Sentinel-2 sister
mission.
The satellite features systems built in the UK, including the
battery and propulsion system, and draws on UK scientific
expertise and experience in helping to calibrate and analyse the
data obtained.
Completing the constellation of the first set of Sentinel
missions, it follows the launch of Sentinel-5P in October 2017,
which was built by Airbus UK, and features state of the art
sensors from Teledyne E2V in Chelmsford at the core of the
Dutch-built TROPOMI instrument.
Andy Stroomer, UK Business Development Director for space at
Airbus, said:
“The Copernicus programme provides a hugely important
contribution towards global monitoring of the environment. Airbus
in the UK has been a major player in the development of
satellites, ground systems and services supporting Copernicus.
Contributions include: leadership of the Sentinel-5P atmospheric
chemistry mission; the cornerstone radar instrument electronics
for Sentinel 1; and cryogenic coolers underpinning the
performance of this Sentinel 3 mission. We look forward to
continuing to play key roles in future Copernicus missions.”
In orbit Sentinel-3B will join its twin, Sentinel-3A, which was
launched in 2016. This pairing of satellites provides the best
coverage and data delivery for Copernicus. The two Sentinel-1
radar satellites and two Sentinel-2 optical satellites operate in
a similar way. Sentinel-5P is unique in the Copernicus
constellation in that it is a single-satellite mission, but its
extremely wide swath covers Earth every 24 hours.
