Sentinel-1C will supply vital radar imagery for understanding climate change and preserving our planet

Kourou, December 6, 2024 – The Copernicus Sentinel-1C Earth observation satellite, built by prime contractor Thales Alenia Space, the joint company between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), was successfully launched by a Vega C rocket operated by Arianespace from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Sentinel-1C © ESA

Sentinel-1C is part of Copernicus, the Earth Observation component of the European Union’s Space Programme. This programme is managed by the European Commission and funded by the EU with a partial contribution of the European Space Agency (ESA), the organisation responsible for the development and launches of dedicated Sentinel satellites. ESA also operates some of the missions and ensures the availability of data.

Sentinel-1C will join the Sentinel-1A satellite in orbit, providing images of the Earth’s surface, day and night and in all weather conditions, for a broad array of science applications designed to protect our planet.

This crucial data will be used to monitor landslides, earthquake zones, volcanic activity and variations in polar ice cover. They will also provide valuable insights for monitoring deforestation, the use of water resources and supporting emergency responders and search and rescue teams in the event of natural disasters. In addition, Sentinel-1C is the first satellite of the Sentinel-1 mission to be equipped with an  Automatic Identification System payload, enabling it to play a vital role in maritime safety by improving traffic management, avoiding collisions and monitoring ships in critical areas.

Sentinel-1C preparation for fit check ©Thales Alenia Space_ImaginE

The Sentinel-1 mission comprises two satellites in Sun-synchronous orbit operating in tandem to provide optimal global coverage with a 12-day repeat cycle. Their pre-tasking capability means that data can be acquired consistently over long periods, which is essential for analyzing environmental trends.  This data is accessible to public authorities, companies and citizens around the world on a free, full and open basis.

As prime contractor for the Sentinel-1 mission on behalf of ESA, Thales Alenia Space is responsible for satellite design, development, integration and testing. Each Sentinel-1 satellite is built on the PRIMA spacecraft bus developed by Thales Alenia Space for the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and carries a C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) instrument developed by Airbus Defence & Space. This SAR instrument enables precise mapping at resolutions up to 5 meters and coverage out to 400 kilometers.

“I’m delighted with the successful launch of the Sentinel-1C satellite, which will supply vital radar imagery for a broad array of science applications to help preserve our planet,” said Giampiero Di Paolo, Deputy CEO, Senior Vice President Observation, Exploration and Navigation at Thales Alenia Space. “The teams at Thales Alenia Space, who are contributing to 11 of the 12 missions in the Copernicus programme, can be proud of this success, which marks a new phase in our collaboration with the European Commission and the European Space Agency.”

With a launch mass of around 2.2 metric tons, Sentinel-1C will operate in low-Earth orbit at an altitude of 700 km and has a design life of 7.25 years. It will be joined in orbit by its twin Sentinel-1D, currently undergoing cleanroom tests at Thales Alenia Space’s facility in Cannes. These latest Sentinel-1 satellites feature an innovative world first: a patented mechanism to separate the radar antenna from the spacecraft bus on re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere at the end of their lifetime, thus helping mitigate orbital debris.

Leonardo contributed to the development of the Sentinel-1C and 1D satellites by supplying the attitude sensors (Autonomous Star Tracker) and the power units that feed the radar, ensuring continuous availability of images.

Data from the Sentinel-1C satellite will be collected by several European centers, including the ground station of the e-GEOS space center, a joint venture between Telespazio (80%) and the Italian space agency (20%), located in Matera, Italy.

About Copernicus

Copernicus is the Earth observation component of the European Union’s Space Programme, looking at our planet and its environment to benefit all European citizens. It provides accurate, timely and easily accessible information to improve the management of the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure civil security. The world’s most advanced Earth Observation system, Copernicus provides continuous, free, and reliable Earth observation data and services to public authorities, companies and citizens around the globe.

Copernicus comprises several families of satellites and a series of monitoring networks (e.g. ground based weather stations, ocean buoys and air quality monitoring networks) to provide robust integrated information and to calibrate and validate the data from satellites.

The satellites are built by European prime contractors for ESA. A program of this scale enables Europe to better anticipate the consequences of global warming so that we can safeguard our planet.

The programme is managed by the European Commission and is co-funded by the European Union and ESA. The European Space Agency is responsible for the coordination, implementation and evolution of the programme, as well as the operations of some spacecrafts.

Thales Alenia Space, a key Copernicus partner

Thales Alenia Space is a major contributor to 11 of the Copernicus programme’s 12 missions. Sentinel-1 monitors land and sea in all weather conditions, day and night, thanks to its radar capabilities. Sentinel-2 and -3 acquire high-resolution optical imagery over land and coastal waters. Sentinel-4 and -5 are dedicated to meteorology and climatology missions. Sentinel-6 monitors the planet’s oceans. As well as being prime contractor for the Sentinel-1 and -3 satellite families, Thales Alenia Space also supplied the Sentinel-2 image ground segment and helped build the imaging spectrometer on Sentinel-5P and the Poseidon-4 radar altimeter on Sentinel-6. In 2020, Thales Alenia Space was awarded five contracts for the six new Copernicus Expansion missions, as prime contractor for the CIMR, ROSE-L and CHIME satellites and supplier of the CRISTAL and CO2M mission payloads. These new satellites will measure human-induced atmospheric carbon dioxide, survey sea ice and snow cover, support new optimized services for sustainable farming and biodiversity, observe sea-surface temperature and salinity as well as sea ice density and strengthen land monitoring and emergency management services.

ABOUT THALES ALENIA SPACE
Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design and build satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources and explore our Solar System and beyond. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the parent companies’ Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of approximately €2.2 billion in 2023 and has around 8,600 employees in 8 countries, with 16 sites in Europe.