The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Copernicus Sentinel-6 separates from the Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage about 58 minutes after liftoff. About 10 minutes later, the satellite’s two deployable solar panels open. The satellite’s other solar panels are in a fixed position. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich launches on 21 November 2020 from the Space Launch Complex 4 East at the Vandenberg Air Force Base near the city of Lompoc in California, US. The Copernicus Sentinel-6 mission comprises two identical satellites launched five years apart – first Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich and then Sentinel-6B in 2025.
The mission takes the role of radar altimetry reference mission, continuing the long-term record of measurements of sea-surface height started in 1992 by the French–US Topex Poseidon and then the Jason series of satellite missions. With sea-level rise one of the biggest threats we face as a consequence of climate change, accurately monitoring the changing height of the sea surface over decades is essential for climate science, for policy-making and, ultimately, for protecting the lives of those in vulnerable low-lying areas.