Jason-CS (Sentinel-6)
Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich Launched November 21, 2020
Sentinel-6 B Launch Plan: November 2025
The Jason Continuity of Service (Jason-CS) mission on the Sentinel-6 spacecraft is an international partnership between the U.S. and Europe. Jason-CS/Sentinel-6 includes two identical satellites with the first launched November 21, 2020 (Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich) and the second scheduled for launch in November 2025 (satellite B). Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich (formerly, Satellite A) was renamed in February 2020 to honor Dr. Michael Freilich, Director of NASA’s Earth Science Division from 2006-2019. Mike passed away in August 2020, leaving a tremendous legacy of service to the agency, Earth science in general, and satellite oceanography in particular.
Jason-CS/Sentinel-6 ensures continuity of sea level observations into a fourth decade. Like their predecessors, these satellites will provide ongoing measurements of global sea level rise – one of the most important indicators of human-caused climate change. Data collected helps city planners, as well as local and state governments, to make informed decisions on protecting coastal infrastructure and other coastal assets. Both satellites measure sea levels, wind speeds, and wave heights which meteorologists feed into models that produce marine weather forecasts. The data will also support operational oceanography through improved forecasts of ocean currents as well as wind and wave conditions. The sea level measurements also provide information on large currents that can aid in commercial and naval navigation, search and rescue, and the tracking of debris and pollutants from disasters at sea. This data also allows improvements in both short-term forecasting for weather predictions in the two- to four-week range (e.g. hurricane intensity predictions), and long-term forecasting for seasonal conditions (e.g. El Niño, La Niña).
With a new experiment: Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation (GNSS-RO), Jason-CS/Sentinel-6 also aids weather prediction. Watching GNSS satellites as they disappear over the horizon provides detailed information about the layers in the atmosphere. This information contributes to computer models that predict the weather and enhance forecasting capabilities.
Since 1992, high-precision satellite altimeters have been essential in helping scientists understand how the ocean stores and redistributes heat, water, and carbon in the climate system. The Jason-CS/Sentinel-6 satellites will extend this legacy through at least 2030, providing a nearly 40-year record of sea level rise, along with changes in ocean currents and sea state conditions.