Earth observation satellite ready for launch

The first satellite in Europe’s Earth monitoring program is now in Guiana and ready for launch, Thales Alenia Space announced.

The European Space Agency's Sentinel-1A satellite, part of the Copernicus program, was built by Thales Alenia Space and will map urban areas, observe environmental impact, monitor risks due to movements in the Earth’s surface, conduct surveillance of the marine environment, provide maritime security, monitor sea ice and Earth’s forests and monitor climate change.

Data from the satellite will be collected by various European centers and in Italy by the ground station at the e-GEOS space center in Matera.

The satellite, one of five in the Copernicus program, weighs about 4,850 pounds and will observe the Earth from an altitude of 700 km, with a 434 miles. It will continuously provide around-the-clock images, taken under all weather conditions.

Thales Alenia Space said the second satellite in the program is scheduled for delivery to European Space Agency late next year. The third satellite is about to complete its initial integration and test phase.

A projected launch date for Sentinel-1A was not given.