Scientists will soon have an easier time studying rising sea levels as climate change takes hold. NASA and the ESA have partnered with SpaceX to launch the Sentinel 6 Michael Freilich ocean tracking satellite.
The spacecraft will gauge sea levels worldwide and not only continue an unbroken 28-year record of ocean monitoring, but do so at extreme detail — down to the centimeter (0.4in) for over 90 percent of Earth’s oceans.
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The satellite should also improve weather forecasts and help ships navigate by tracking worldwide ocean currents. It’s named after the late former director of NASA’s Earth Science Division, a champion of Earth science and ocean studies.
Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will have a companion in the future. A twin satellite, Sentinel-6B, will launch in 2025. The combo should help maintain the climate record for “at least” another decade between the two vessels, NASA said. It’ll take about a year for the initial satellite to take over from its predecessor, Jason-3.
The timing might be ideal. The incoming US administration is expected to fully recognize climate science, and an advanced satellite could help the administration make better-informed policy decisions.
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