ESA Retires Sentinel-1A After 12 Years, Repositions 3 Satellites for Radar Handover
Updated
Updated · European Space Agency · Jun 30
ESA Retires Sentinel-1A After 12 Years, Repositions 3 Satellites for Radar Handover
1 articles · Updated · European Space Agency · Jun 30
Summary
Sentinel-1A has ended its mission after 12 years in orbit, far outlasting its original seven-year design life and closing a key chapter in the Copernicus radar program.
ESA’s ESOC in Germany spent the final weeks executing complex orbital manoeuvres to place Sentinel-1A, Sentinel-1C and Sentinel-1D into a three-satellite configuration.
That setup is meant to deliver a seamless transition, with Sentinel-1C and Sentinel-1D already positioned to become the primary suppliers of space-based radar data.
Sentinel-1A’s data supported operational services, expanded understanding of planetary change and helped lay the groundwork for later scientific discoveries.