Daijiworld Media Network - New York

New York, Nov 17: SpaceX has successfully launched NASA’s Sentinel-6B satellite, the newest addition to an international effort to track sea level rise and improve global weather forecasting. The Earth-observing spacecraft, developed in collaboration with US and European partners, lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 12:21 a.m. ET (10:55 a.m. IST) on Monday.

Sentinel-6B extends more than three decades of precise sea level measurements and will enhance forecasting of ocean currents, wind, and wave patterns. According to NASA and SpaceX, the satellite will work alongside its predecessor, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich—launched in 2020—to deliver near-global coverage of about 90 percent of Earth’s oceans.

The mission’s data will play a vital role in coastal planning, helping cities protect infrastructure, real estate, and energy facilities from rising seas and extreme weather. It will also support disaster preparedness by improving predictions of hurricane development and potential storm intensification. Beyond public safety and urban planning, Sentinel-6B’s insights will benefit commercial navigation, national defense operations, and the safeguarding of coastal military bases.

NASA noted that the satellite’s ocean and atmospheric measurements will additionally assist in future space missions, including ensuring safer reentry operations for astronauts returning from Artemis lunar expeditions.