An exciting mission is almost ready for launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The European Sentinel-6, as part of the EU Copernicus Earth Observation programme, is being mated to the launcher and awaiting its launch currently planned for November 21, 2021 from Vandenberg Airforce base in California, US. 

With global mean sea level rising because of climate change, Copernicus Sentinel-6 is the next radar altimetry reference mission to extend the legacy of sea-surface height measurements until at least 2030. From an altitude of 1336 km it will provide global maps of sea level that we have been seeing on the rise by 3.6 mm per year in the last decades. Unprecendented accuracy and precision in measurements are expected due to technology advancements incorporated in its measurement suite of a radar altimeter and a microwave radiometer. More info on the mission can be found on the ESA website for Sentinel-6.

Since the launch of the Sentinel-5P mission in October 2017, that I worked on for over a decade, I have been made part of a family of sp-called Sentinerds: Space groupies that promote the Sentinel missions on all Social media channels. For Sentinel-6, the Zapread platform should certainly not be excluded. Spot me in the picture below at the launch event. Unfortunately, the launch event will be online this time :(