14 DAY TRIAL // Officials at the European Space Agency (ESA) have announced today that the Sentinel1-A satellite and its Russian-built Soyuz-FG medium-lift delivery system have successfully completed their final “dress rehearsal” on Monday, April 1. The mission, the first in the Copernicus program, is now on track towards launching into space tomorrow, April 3, at 2102 GMT (23:02 CEST).
The Soyuz rocket will blast off from the Soyuz Launch Complex (ELS) at the Kourou Spaceport in French Guiana, South America. The facility was erected by engineers with the Russian Federal Space Agency (RosCosmos), under a contract with ESA, so that Soyuz-class rockets could be launched directly from the European installation.
Sentinel-1A is the first in a duo of satellites; its companion is scheduled to launch in 2015. The mission is the first to mark a shift in the way ESA conducts space observations. The agency conducts the Copernicus Earth-observing program with a focus on supporting users for prolonged periods of time.
Once in orbit, the satellite will provide environmental and weather-prediction services for the European Union and other countries. It will also be included in the international COSPAS–SARSAT emergency location system, which surveys UHF signals for signs of distress.
Sentinel-1A carries a single instrument, an advanced C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR). This highly precise radar will enable ESA to conduct Earth observations regardless of weather and time of day. All other Sentinel satellites to follow will feature the same instruments, or improved versions.