Brussels, 15 September 2026
On Tuesday at 03:21 CEST, the European Union successfully launched Copernicus Sentinel-3C from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, in close cooperation with the European Space Agency and Arianespace. The satellite established its first contact with the Earth at 04:33 CEST, confirming that it is in good health.
The Sentinel-3C will ensure the continued delivery of cutting-edge Earth observation data and services through the Copernicus programme, supporting public and private users worldwide. By expanding Europe’s ability to monitor the health of oceans, land, atmosphere and climate, it will help public authorities, scientists and businesses address environmental challenges and respond to natural disasters.
The mission will deliver essential data on sea surface temperature, sea level and ocean currents, which are essential contributions to ocean observation and the OceanEye initiative. It will monitor wildfires, droughts, vegetation health, harmful algal blooms and coastal water quality, as well as land surface temperature, heatwaves, polar ice and climate change. These data support a wide range of applications, including in emergency response, marine safety, agriculture, water management, climate monitoring and weather forecasting.
After several months of commissioning and calibration, the satellite will become fully operational and begin delivering Earth observation data to users around the world. It will ensure the continued full operational capacity of the Sentinel-3 mission. More information is available online.
Source – EU Commission