E-Paper
NASA launches billion-dollar climate satellite; ‘major step to reduce climate risk’
The new Sentinel-6B satellite lifts off under a joint NASA-European program, aiming to deliver critical sea-level and atmospheric data.
The U.S. space agency NASA has launched a new environmental-monitoring satellite — part of a multibillion-dollar effort — designed to gauge long-term shifts in sea levels and atmospheric conditions. The launch took place in mid-November, using a rocket from global partner SpaceX.
Read more: Full moon this week: When is December’s supermoon ‘Cold Moon’?
A high-cost staellite to track Earth's climate
The satellite Sentinel-6B is equipped with cutting-edge radar capable of measuring the height of the world’s oceans by sending radar pulses down to Earth and measuring how long they take to bounce back.
According to NASA, this data will feed into a decades-long dataset essential for city planners, coastal authorities and governments to prepare for rising seas, floods, and climate-driven migration.
Sentinel-6B will also collect atmospheric data. It will measure temperature and humidity at various altitudes, which will help improve weather predictions and aid understanding of climate change patterns around the globe.
NASA views this satellite as a vital “eyes in the sky” for a safe future of the Earth to combat the rising threat of floods, cyclones and rising seas, particularly in coastal regions worldwide.
Read more: Quantum computing: Qubits are the new space race
Data from Sentinel-6B fills critical gap
Coastal flooding, tidal surges and sea-level rise pose major risks for tens of millions living in low-lying areas worldwide. Sentinel-6B's capacity to give continuous, high-precision sea-level data over decades bridges a significant gap.
According to the European Commission press release, the satellite’s high-precision radar altimeter can help detect even small changes in sea level. It is vital when sea-level rise (due to glacier melt and thermal expansion) threatens hundreds of millions living along coasts.
Because it can "see" ocean surfaces around the world, it can help predict long-term trends like coastal erosion, increasing shorelines, threats to small island states, and greater vulnerability in delta regions.
The satellite's data can also help make informed decisions when there is a need to plan infrastructure in cities. It can become a guide on when and where to build, how high to raise structures, and which regions may need evacuation or special protection.
Insurance companies, disaster-management agencies and climate-vulnerable governments are likely to rely on this data heavily.
According to NASA Science, continuous, high-accuracy data on ocean and atmospheric changes is more important than ever, as rising global temperatures accelerate glacier melt, ice-sheet retreat, ocean warming and extreme weather events.
Sentinel-6B’s extended data record will help scientists, policymakers and coastal communities monitor trends, model future impacts, and prepare or adapt accordingly.
