Airbus Defence and Space has successfully delivered the inaugural Sentinel-5 instrument to the European Space Agency (ESA), marking a significant advancement in atmospheric monitoring technology. This instrument, known as the UVNS (Ultraviolet Visible Near-infrared Short-wave infrared Spectrometer), is set to be integrated into the MetOp Second Generation Satellite A, enhancing capabilities in tracking air quality, ozone changes, and wildfire emissions.
Sentinel-5 is a part of the “atmospheric sentinels” series, strategically designed to probe the composition of Earth’s atmosphere. Its primary mission is to provide global observations of atmospheric trace gases and aerosols, contributing to the long-term operational objectives of the Copernicus programme. This initiative is a collaborative effort between the European Union and ESA, with the operations of both the spacecraft and the instrument managed by EUMETSAT, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites.
From its vantage point in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Sentinel-5 promises to deliver data with unmatched precision. It is equipped to measure the atmospheric concentrations of critical gases like ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, formaldehyde, glyoxal, carbon monoxide, methane, and various aerosols. Its comprehensive daily coverage of the planet will support the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) and the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
The impact of Sentinel-5 extends beyond operational climate monitoring; it also supports environmental policy-making and offers the scientific community fresh insights into the atmospheric processes affecting our planet. As a state-of-the-art high-resolution imaging spectrometer system, Sentinel-5 analyses the light Earth’s atmosphere reflects across seven spectral bands, from ultraviolet to shortwave infrared.
The development of the Sentinel-5 instruments has been a collaborative effort, involving around 50 companies from 13 European countries. This industrial consortium has tackled various technological challenges in optics, electronics, and structural engineering to meet the demanding performance specifications.
This delivery follows approximately 1.5 years after the launch of Sentinel-4, cementing Airbus’s role as a prime contractor in atmospheric monitoring from its base in Ottobrunn. Looking ahead, Airbus is slated to deliver three additional atmospheric Sentinels, including one more Sentinel-4 and two Sentinel-5 instruments, expected to provide valuable data for at least the next two decades.