NASA is preparing for the launch of Sentinel-6B, the newest satellite in an international mission designed to deliver vital measurements of global sea levels and ocean conditions. The spacecraft is scheduled to lift off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The launch is targeted for 4:21 pm AEDT on Monday, 17 November, with live coverage beginning at 3:30 pm AEDT. NASA will stream the event on NASA+, Amazon Prime and a range of social media platforms.
Sentinel-6B continues a decades-long collaboration between NASA and international partners to gather consistent radar altimetry data from orbit. Since the early 1990s, these missions have monitored changes in global sea levels with exceptional precision. The new satellite will extend this record to nearly 40 years, giving scientists and operational agencies one of the most reliable long-term datasets for tracking climate-driven changes in the world’s oceans.
The information collected by Sentinel-6B will support a wide range of activities, from forecasting and defence planning to protecting coastal infrastructure that is increasingly exposed to sea-level rise. Shipping, offshore energy and commercial marine operations will also benefit from improved ocean-state modelling and more accurate forecasts.
NASA describes Sentinel-6B as a key asset in global Earth-system monitoring, following the success of Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich and the earlier Jason missions. The program’s continuity is considered essential for understanding long-term climate trends and supporting the sectors that depend on stable, high-quality ocean data.
NASA’s full schedule and viewing options are available through its online “How to Watch” guide.
