June 4, 2015

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New launch date set for Sentinel-2A

Sentinel-2A in the cleanroom at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Credit: ESA/F. Gascon
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Sentinel-2A in the cleanroom at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Credit: ESA/F. Gascon

The second satellite in Europe's Copernicus programme is set for launch from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 23 June at 01:52 GMT (03:52 CEST 23 June; 22:52 local time 22 June).

Fuelling of the satellite was completed yesterday at the .

An ESA and industry advisory board meeting over the past few days signed off on an investigation into Vega's fairing separation and the replacement of a gas pressure sensor on the vehicle, allowing the new launch date to be confirmed.

Sentinel-2 carries an innovative wide-swath, high-resolution multispectral imager with 13 spectral bands for a new perspective of our land and vegetation. The second in the two-satellite mission – Sentinel-2B – is being prepared for launch in 2016.

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