Sentinel-3 Speeds Data
Faster data delivery for European wildfires
The European Space Agency and Eumetsat have improved the delivery time of satellite data from the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission, enabling emergency services to respond to wildfires in Europe up to three times faster. According to the European Space Agency, this is achieved by changing the cut-off point for data to be downloaded to the ground station, allowing images taken over central and southern Europe to be delivered to end users within 60-90 minutes.
How satellite data can reach Earth faster
The Sentinel-3 satellites orbit the Earth along near-longitudinal lines, passing over both the North and South polar regions, covering the whole globe on average every 36 hours. The teams from the European Space Agency and Eumetsat found that by enabling the satellite to transmit and capture data quasi-simultaneously while within sight of the Svalbard ground station, they could deliver the most recent data over Europe faster.
Satellites supporting emergency responses
Simon Proud, the European Space Agency's co-Mission Scientist for Sentinel-3 NG, notes that this improvement will enable data to reach emergency services sooner, potentially limiting damage from fires. The Copernicus Emergency Management Service has been activated 41 times for wildfires in Europe since 1 May, and the improved delivery time will make a real difference in responding to these emergencies.
Continuing the legacy of Sentinel-3
The Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission has been in orbit for a decade, operated jointly by Eumetsat and the European Space Agency on behalf of the European Commission. The mission normally delivers data within three hours of capture, but the new strategy has reduced this time to 60-90 minutes for certain regions. The following table compares the old and new delivery times:
| Region | Old Delivery Time | New Delivery Time |
|---|---|---|
| Central and Southern Europe | 3 hours | 60-90 minutes |
| Serbia | 3 hours | 1 hour |
The European Space Agency reports that the results of the new strategy speak for themselves, with data over much of Europe available for end users within about 90 minutes, approximately twice as fast as the standard three-hour requirement. Sentinel-3C is due to launch on board Vega-C from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, which will further support the mission's objectives.
