SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is set to launch an international satellite to monitor rising sea levels, marking a significant milestone in global climate monitoring. The Sentinel-6B satellite, built by Airbus Defence and Space in Germany, will be deployed from the Falcon 9's second stage 57 minutes into the flight, after two burns by the Falcon 9's second stage. This mission is a part of a $1 billion international collaboration to continue a decades-long effort to accurately measure sea heights from orbit. The costs of the project were split evenly between the United States and Europe. Partnering for the mission are NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (Eumetsat), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the European Commission, and the French space agency CNES. From its circular orbit, 830 miles (1,336 km) high, inclined at 66 degrees to the Equator, Sentinel-6B will use cloud-penetrating radar to measure sea level heights down to roughly an inch across 90 percent of the world's oceans. This information lets us monitor significant ocean features like ocean currents, sea level, and wave height, and gives us a view into the inner workings of the ocean. It underpins navigation, search and rescue, and industries like commercial fishing and shipping, and these measurements form the basis for flood predictions for coastal infrastructure, real estate, energy storage, sites, and other assets along our shoreline. However, in line with Trump Administration policies, mission officials have made no mention of climate change, which scientists say is a major factor driving rising sea levels.
