Countdown to launch – Copernicus Sentinel-1D lifts off in November

On 4 November 2025, Sentinel-1D will lift off from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, ensuring the continuity of services on which a wide range of end users rely worldwide.

The Sentinel-1 mission uses radar to create high-resolution, day-and-night, all-weather images of Earth's surface for land and ocean monitoring, including tracking sea ice and oil spills, mapping land use changes, assessing soil moisture, monitoring land surface deformation, and aiding in emergency response to disasters like floods and earthquakes.

Data from Sentinel-1 satellites flows directly into Copernicus Services. It underpins the Copernicus Emergency Management Service(CEMS) for flood mapping, the Copernicus Maritime Surveillance (CMS) Service for oil spill and vessel detection, and the Copernicus Marine Service(CMEMS) for monitoring icebergs and sea ice concentration to support safe navigation. It also supports the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service(CLMS) for vegetation, forest and agricultural monitoring. Notably, Sentinel-1 radar data processed with interferometry is used in the European Ground Motion Service(EGMS), part of CLMS, to detect and track ground motion from subsidence, landslides, volcanic activity and earthquakes.

Sentinel-1D joins Sentinel-1C, launched in December 2024. Both satellites are equipped with Galileo-enabled receivers for more accurate in-orbit positioning and carry an Automatic Identification System (AIS) payload which detects signals from ships, supporting maritime domain awareness and the detection of unauthorised activities at sea. Sentinel-1D's launch aboard Ariane 6 reflects Europe's growing capacity to put its satellites into orbit on its own terms, strengthening the resilience of Copernicus Services and the EU's strategic autonomy.

Read more on this week's Observer