Sentinel-2C completes critical early orbit phase, begins commissioning

Sentinel-2C completes critical early orbit phase, begins commissioning
by Erica Marchand
Paris, France (SPX) Sep 15, 2024

Sentinel-2C has successfully completed its critical first days in space, with teams working continuously to prepare the spacecraft for its Earth observation mission.

Launch and First Signals
Sentinel-2C, the third satellite in the Copernicus Sentinel-2 program, launched from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana on 5 September at 03:50 CEST (22:50 local time on 4 September). The satellite, weighing 1.1 tonnes, carries a high-resolution optical payload to support the Copernicus Earth observation program, which gathers detailed imagery of Earth's land and vegetation.

After separating from its Vega rocket at 04:48 CEST, Sentinel-2C transmitted its first signals at 05:02 CEST to ESA's mission operations center in Darmstadt, Germany, confirming its safe arrival in orbit.

First Days in Orbit
During the satellite's initial communication window, lasting 12 minutes, operators at the KSAT Troll ground station in Antarctica confirmed that Sentinel-2C had successfully deployed its solar array. Following this, the team initiated power generation and began verifying the functionality of the satellite's core systems. ESA's Flight Dynamics team pinpointed the satellite's orbit, while ESA's Space Debris Office monitored the area for any potential collision risks.

"Overall, Sentinel-2C's Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) went very smoothly, and we were able to complete all of the necessary activities a little earlier than planned," commented Flight Operations Director Franco Marchese. "Completing a LEOP early reduces the risk that these important activities are disrupted because we need to carry out a collision avoidance manoeuvre to avoid an incoming piece of space debris."

The LEOP phase concluded successfully on Friday, with all systems functioning as expected. "We have successfully conducted our first orbital manoeuvre using Sentinel-2C's thrusters. The satellite is in great shape, and the commissioning phase - during which we will ensure that its multispectral imager payload is ready for routine operations - started on Monday," Marchese added.

Next Steps
In the coming months, Sentinel-2C will undergo thorough testing and calibration in preparation for routine operations, including the collection of high-resolution imagery from an altitude of 790 km.

Simon Plum, ESA's Head of Mission Operations, praised the teams involved, saying, "Following a perfect launch by the final Vega rocket, the Sentinel-2C LEOP was swiftly completed by our teams working at ESOC. I would like to thank all the teams involved in Sentinel-2C - including those from industry, the teams at ESA's ESTEC engineering centre and ESRIN Earth observation centre, and the Vega teams at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou - for a job well done and a smooth start to this important mission."