In the frame of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program ESA is currently implementing the Sentinel-3 mission [1], [2]. It is designed as a constellation of two identical polar orbiting satellites, separated by 180 deg, for the provision of longterm operational marine and land monitoring services. As such, the Sentinel-3 satellite carries a topography mission including mainly RF instruments and an ocean and land colour mission composed of optical instruments. The aim of this paper is to first provide a brief overview of the Sentinel-3 mission and then focus on the core instrument of the topography mission [3], the SRAL radar altimeter [4], and its latest development steps.

Date Published: 18 October 2010
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 7825, Remote Sensing of the Ocean, Sea Ice, and Large Water Regions 2010, 782507 (18 October 2010); doi: 10.1117/12.865060

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7825:
Remote Sensing of the Ocean, Sea Ice, and Large Water Regions 2010
Charles R. Bostater Jr.; Stelios P. Mertikas; Xavier Neyt; Miguel Velez-Reyes, Editor(s)