Blogs

At the launch pad, the strongback has been retracted from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Mission and launch managers are counting down to the launch of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4 at Vandenberg Air Force Station in California.

Fueling of the SpaceX Falcon 9 first and second stages is underway. NASA and SpaceX mission and launch managers will begin the final poll for launch. Here are some countdown events. Countdown Events L-44:00 NLM poll L-38:00 Final propellant load poll L-35:00 RP-1/LOX Load L-10:00 Confirm spacecraft to internal power L-7:00 Engine chill begins L-6:00 …

Fueling of the SpaceX rocket has begun. The SpaceX Falcon 9 is a partially reusable, two-stage rocket. It is powered by nine SpaceX Merlin engines. Its first stage uses rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen, while the second stage uses liquid oxygen. The Falcon 9 can lift payloads of up to 50,300 pounds to low-Earth orbit, …

Sentinel-6 will carry several instruments to support its science goals. A Radar Altimeter will bounce signals off the ocean surface. Sea surface height will be determined based on the time it takes each pulse to travel from the satellite to the ocean and back again. An Advanced Microwave Radiometer will retrieve the amount of water …

Good morning! And welcome to live blog coverage for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission. The satellite will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Launch time is targeted for 9:17 Pacific Standard Time, that’s 12:17 Eastern Standard Time. The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at …

Live coverage begins for the launch of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite here on the NASA blog, on NASA TV, and the agency’s website. Live coverage began at 8:45 a.m. PST (11:45 a.m. EST).

The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite was named in honor of Dr. Michael H. Freilich, who was instrumental in advancing ocean altimetry while leading NASA’s Earth Science Division. He was a tireless advocate for advancing satellite measurements of the ocean. Freilich passed away in August 2020.

The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite is a U.S.-European collaboration and one of two satellites that compose the Copernicus Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission. Once in orbit, each Sentinel-6 satellite will collect sea level measurements down to the centimeter for 90% of the world’s oceans. Agencies participating in this mission include the European Space Agency, the …