BackForward Satellite: Sentinel-3A 

Satellite details
Acronym Sentinel-3A
Full name Sentinel-3A
WIGOS Station Identifier ---
Satellite Description
  • 1st flight unit of the Sentinel-3 programme.
  • Main mission: ocean and land observation.
  • Substantial contribution to Solid Earth (topography).
Mass at launch 1250 kg Dry mass 1150 kg
Power 2300 W
Data access link https://navigator.eumetsat.int/search?query=sentinel-3A
Data access information
  • Description of data services at
  • Click here for non-real time users
  • Product delivery timeliness may be:
    • Near-Real-Time (NRT): < 3 h from sensing
    • Short Time Critical (STC): < 48 h from sensing
    • Non-Time Critical (NTC): < 1 month from sensing.
  • NRT Marine products are distributed by EUMETSAT by EUMETCast and via the Copernicus Online Data Access.
Orbit Sunsynchronous orbit Altitude 814.5 km
ECT 10:00 desc

 

Space agency ESA , EC, EUMETSAT
Status Operational
Details on Status
(as available)
  • Sentinel-3A operations were transferred from ESA to EUMETSAT on 13 July 2016.
Launch 16 Feb 2016 EOL ≥2026
Last update: 2024-07-22
Associated satellite programme and related satellites

Note: red tag: no longer operational , green tag: operational , blue tag : future

Satellite Payload

All known Instruments flying on Sentinel-3A

Acronym Full name
DORIS Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite
GPS GPS Receiver
LRR Laser Retro-Reflector
MWR Micro-Wave Radiometer
OLCI Ocean and Land Colour Imager
SLSTR Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer
SRAL Synthetic aperture Radar Altimeter
Show instrument status and calibration
Satellite frequencies for Earth Observation, data transfer and platform communications and control
Frequencies for satellite management
Service Direction Frequency (MHz) Emission designator Bandwidth (kHz) Polarisation D/A Data rate (kbps) or Baseband (kHz) Comments
DORIS E-S 401.25 MHz 23K0G1D 23 kHz RHCP D 4  kbps Precise positioning by DORIS
DORIS E-S 2036.25 MHz 95K0G1D 95 kHz RHCP D 4  kbps Precise positioning by DORIS
TC E-S 2075.65 MHz 768KG2D 768 kHz RHCP D 64  kbps Telecommands
TM S-E 2254.1 MHz 2M20G1D 2200 kHz RHCP D 2000  kbps High Data Rate Telemetry
Earth observation MW frequencies
Service Sensing mode Frequency (GHz) Bandwidth (MHz) Polarisation Comments
SRAL active 5.41 GHz 320 MHz - C-band radar altimeter
SRAL active 13.575 GHz 350 MHz - Ku-band radar altimeter
MWR passive 23.8 GHz 400 MHz - Water vapour channel (supporting altimeter)
MWR passive 36.5 GHz 1000 MHz - Window channel (supporting altimeter)
Frequencies for scientific data acquisition and communication services at ground stations
Service Direction Frequency (MHz) Bandwidth (kHz) Polarisation D/A Data rate (kbps) or Baseband (kHz) Comments
Raw Data S-E 8095 MHz 140000 kHz RHCP D 260000/280000  kbps Raw data downlink
Raw Data S-E 8260 MHz 140000 kHz RHCP D 260000/280000  kbps Raw data downlink