New Sentinel Satellites to Check the Earth

Contracts (22)________ with industry to produce spacecraft that can provide information on a range of parameters — from the extent of Arctic sea-ice to the condition of soils in dry regions of the world.

The new satellites are expected to be launched towards the decade’s end. This depends, however, on sufficient (23)________ funding being identified.

While a number of commercial concerns are launching larger numbers of satellites to map the Earth, none is investing in (24)________ range of high-fidelity sensor types. What’s more, all the data from the Sentinels is free and open, including to users outside Europe.

The first Sentinel-6 satellite is due to (25)________ in November. This is a radar altimetre that will measure very (26)________ the height of the world’s oceans. It’s data that is critical for understanding sea-level rise.