Kourou: The Copernicus Sentinel-5 satellite successfully launched on Wednesday aboard an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. It marks a significant step forward in Europe’s ability to monitor air pollution and atmospheric health on a global scale, a press release by the European Commission says.
According to Cyprus News Agency, developed in close cooperation between the European Commission, the European Space Agency (ESA), EUMETSAT, and Arianespace, Sentinel-5 will deliver daily, high-resolution data on air pollutants and atmospheric trace gases around the globe. The satellite will orbit the Earth approximately every 100 minutes.
Once operational, the mission will support key EU environmental and climate policies, including the EU Methane Strategy, the Ambient Air Quality Directive, and the Zero Pollution Action Plan. This data will be instrumental in advancing pollution reduction efforts and improving air quality management across Europe and beyond, the Commission notes.
“Together with the geostationary Sentinel-4 and the upcoming CO2-monitoring mission (CO2M), Sentinel-5 further consolidates Copernicus as one of the most advanced Earth observation systems in the world, particularly in atmospheric monitoring,” the Commission stresses.
Copernicus is the Earth Observation component of the EU Space Programme.