Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Conservation
Why in News?
Sentinel-6B was launched recently from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Mission Name - Copernicus Sentinel-6 (also known as the Jason-CS mission, for Continuity of Service).
Aim - It is an ocean-tracking satellite to measure the rising sea levels and their impacts on the planet.
It is the latest in a series of satellites launched since the 1990s.
Twin Satellite - It is the twin of the first satellite, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich (originally Sentinel-6A), which launched in November 2020.
Agency– It is a joint mission between the United States’ NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the European Space Agency.
Orbiting speed– It will orbit Earth at a speed of 7.2 km per second, completing one revolution every 112 minutes.
Coverage- It maps more than 90% of the world's ice-free oceans every 10 days.
Additional Measurements
Beyond sea level, the satellite also collects data on:
Ocean Dynamics- It measures significant wave height and wind speed over the oceans to support operational oceanography and forecasting.
Atmospheric Data -It collects high-resolution vertical profiles of temperature and humidity in the atmosphere using the GNSS Radio Occultation instrument, which helps to improve weather prediction models and climate assessment.
Inland Water - The altimetry data can also be used to monitor the height of major rivers and lakes.
Significance-It is expected to improve the accuracy of weather forecasts, including storm and flood predictions, enabling administrators to make better real-time decisions to safeguard public property and protect coastal infrastructure.
