A joint satellite mission between the U.S. and Europe will collect valuable information about rising ocean levels.
The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite — named in honor of the former director of NASA’s Earth Science Division — was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, in November 2021.
“The Earth is changing, and this satellite will help deepen our understanding of how [this is happening],” said Karen St. Germain, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division. “The processes of Earth’s change are affecting sea level globally, but the impact on local communities varies widely.”
Alain Ratier, director-general of the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, which supports the mission, said: “The data from this satellite, so crucial for climate monitoring and weather forecasting, will have unprecedented accuracy.”
Photo: shutterstock-aapsky
Ratier emphasized that this precise data can only be collected from space.
Enhanced data can help meteorologists make more accurate weather forecasts and assist oceanographers in better understanding ocean currents.
Moreover, satellite data will allow for more accurate predictions about hurricane trajectories. This can help first responder teams work more effectively through initiatives like NASA’s Earth Science Disasters Program.
The satellite mission will measure sea levels worldwide and track how global climate change is affecting ocean rise. Scientists can use the data to complement climate modeling. Coastal cities can use the data to monitor areas with flooding potential.
The latest satellite mission continues a sea level monitoring project that began in 1992 with a joint mission between the U.S. and France.
“International collaboration is key to understanding these changes and informing coastal communities around the world,” said Karen.
The successful launch of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite is the latest chapter in transatlantic cooperation regarding Earth observations since 1992. This relationship is made possible by the U.S.-EU Space Dialogue, which is bilateral in nature. These dialogues facilitate U.S. access to data from the European Sentinel satellite for the following objectives: monitoring natural resources, climate change research, disaster management, and much more.
Source: www.share.america.gov