An accurate picture of global and local sea levels is crucial to weather and storm forecasting, securing coastal property and infrastructure, and helping to optimize commercial activities such as shipping and undersea pipeline operations. A series of satellites started collecting sea level measurements in the early 1990s, led by NASA and domestic and international partners. The launch of Sentinel-6B will extend this gold-standard dataset into its fourth decade. The spacecraft follows the launch of its twin, the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which preceded it into space in November 2020. The pair make up the international Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission, which is designed to measure sea levels down to roughly an inch for about 90% of the world’s oceans. Sentinel-6B will also extend the record of atmospheric temperatures, begun by Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, out to a decade.
