The ability of European citizens, policymakers and service providers to access key environmental data on a routine basis will take a major step forward following the launch on 3rd April of ESA’s Sentinel-1A satellite. This 2.3 tonne satellite lifted off on a Soyuz rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana at 2102 GMT (2302 CEST).

Sentinel-1A lift off – photo © ESA

“Sentinel-1A opens a new page in the implementation of Copernicus, the second
EU flagship space initiative, after the Galileo positioning system,” said Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General of ESA. “The Copernicus programme will provide European citizens with the most ambitious space-based services in the world for environmental and security applications.”

Radar vision – photo © ESA