Sentinel-3A encapsulated within its Rockot fairing

Sentinel-3A satellite encapsulated within its Rockot fairing, on 9 February 2016, at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia.

Once safely in orbit and fully commissioned, this new satellite will begin its mission to map Earth’s oceans and land surfaces with its powerful optical and radar systems. The Sentinel-3 mission is set to play a key role in the world’s largest environmental monitoring programme – Copernicus.