Sentinel-2A
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 Rama · CC BY-SA 2.0 fr · source | |
| Name | Sentinel-2A |
| Mission type | Earth observation |
| Operator | European Space Agency |
| Manufacturer | Airbus Defence and Space |
| Launch date | 23 June 2015 |
| Launch vehicle | Vega |
| Launch site | Guiana Space Centre |
| Orbit type | Sun-synchronous orbit |
| Instruments | Multispectral Instrument (MSI) |
Sentinel-2A is a European Earth observation satellite developed under the Copernicus Programme to provide high-resolution optical imagery for land and coastal monitoring. It was built by Airbus Defence and Space for the European Space Agency to complement a constellation delivering multispectral data for environmental management, agriculture, forestry, and disaster response. The satellite forms part of a coordinated effort linking space agencies, research institutions, and operational services across Europe and international partners.
Overview
Sentinel-2A was conceived within the Copernicus Programme framework alongside parallel missions from the European Space Agency and the European Commission to provide routine remote sensing services. The program engages institutions including European Environment Agency, European Space Research and Technology Centre, and national space agencies such as Centre National d'Études Spatiales and Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt in calibration, validation, and downstream exploitation. As part of a two-satellite constellation with a twin platform launched later, the mission enables frequent revisit times supporting operational services like the Emergency Response Coordination Centre and the Food and Agriculture Organization monitoring. Industrial partners included manufacturers and suppliers such as Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space, OHB SE, and technology providers from the United Kingdom Space Agency and Italian Space Agency supply chains.
Mission and Objectives
The mission objectives align with Copernicus services used by entities like the European Commission's Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space and operational centers such as European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Primary goals include systematic land cover mapping for agencies including European Environment Agency and habitat monitoring referenced by conventions like the Bern Convention and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Sentinel-2A supports agricultural policy and food security monitoring used by Food and Agriculture Organization and European Food Safety Authority through crop type mapping and vegetation indices tied to frameworks such as the Common Agricultural Policy reporting. Disaster management applications inform responders in organizations such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the World Bank during events like floods and wildfires, interfacing with the Emergency Response Coordination Centre and international research consortia including Committee on Earth Observation Satellites.
Spacecraft and Instruments
The satellite bus was produced by Airbus Defence and Space with instrument contributions from contractors including Selex ES and optical component firms linked to Sagem. The primary payload, the Multispectral Instrument (MSI), provides 13 spectral bands designed for applications used by researchers at institutions like European Space Research and Technology Centre, Copernicus Sentinel Hub, and universities such as ETH Zurich, Imperial College London, and University of Cambridge. MSI performance parameters were validated through campaigns involving Joint Research Centre, national geological surveys, and observatories including European Southern Observatory personnel. The instrument builds on heritage from missions such as Landsat and SPOT and complements radar missions like Sentinel-1 and hyperspectral initiatives exemplified by PRISMA and EnMAP.
Launch and Orbit
Sentinel-2A was launched on 23 June 2015 aboard a Vega rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana, with launch services coordinated by Arianespace and oversight from agencies including European Space Agency and national authorities like CNES. The spacecraft was inserted into a sun-synchronous dawn-dusk orbit, harmonized with orbital strategies used by missions such as Terra and Aqua to achieve consistent solar illumination for optical sensors. Orbital parameters yield a 10:30 local solar time equator crossing similar to practices at National Aeronautics and Space Administration centers collaborating on calibration, while constellation phasing with the twin satellite improves revisit cadence analogous to constellations including SPOT and Planet Labs fleets.
Operations and Data Products
Operational management is conducted by European Space Agency in coordination with the Copernicus Programme service elements and regional nodes such as Copernicus Sentinel Hub, European Environment Agency, and national mapping agencies including Ordnance Survey and IGN France. Data products—Level-1C top-of-atmosphere reflectance and Level-2A atmospherically corrected surface reflectance—are utilized by platforms like Google Earth Engine, research projects at CSIRO, NASA, and analytics firms including Esri. The mission provides standardized products for land monitoring, index calculation (e.g., NDVI) used by research centers like Wageningen University, and time-series datasets exploited by climate studies at institutions such as Met Office and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
Applications and Impact
Sentinel-2A imagery underpins applications across environmental science, agriculture, forestry, and emergency response. It has been integrated into monitoring systems used by European Environment Agency for land cover change, by Food and Agriculture Organization for crop yield estimation, and by United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction for hazard assessment. Scientific use includes contributions to studies led by universities like University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and ETH Zurich on topics related to biodiversity, carbon accounting, and urban expansion measured in programs associated with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity. The mission's open data policy fostered commercial services from companies such as Planet Labs, Airbus Defence and Space analytics units, and geospatial startups leveraging cloud infrastructures provided by Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform. Its operational continuity and synergy with other Copernicus Sentinels enhanced European and global capacities for evidence-based decision-making in environmental management and humanitarian response.