Sentinel-6B | UPSC CSE

Why in News: Sentinel-6B, a U.S.–Europe collaborative satellite, has been launched to strengthen global sea-level monitoring, continuing a multi-decade satellite record of ocean height measurements.

About Sentinel-6B

• Joint Mission Partners:
  • NASA (United States)
  • NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S.)
  • European Space Agency (ESA)
  • Part of a long-running transatlantic partnership on ocean and climate monitoring.
• Mission Background:
  • Continues a series of satellite missions (Sentinel-6A) that began in the 1990s (e.g., TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason series).
  • These missions form the most accurate and long-term global dataset on sea-level rise, a key indicator of climate change.

Mission Objectives

• Provide highly precise sea-surface height measurements to monitor:
  • global sea-level rise
  • ocean circulation
  • climate change impacts
  • marine heatwaves and coastal flooding risks
• Supports both scientific climate research and operational systems such as weather forecasting and ocean modelling.

Source: Indian Express

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