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US space agency NASA has launched one of its two satellites to monitor and document sea levels.
Named in memory of NASA’s former Earth Science Division director, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
The satellite is the first of a pair of ocean-focused satellites that will provide scientists with a more precise view of the coastlines than ever before. Its launch is part of NASA and the European Space Agency’s joint efforts to expand and refine research on global sea levels for another decade.
The satellite’s mission is to monitor and gather the most accurate data on how sea levels are changing as an effect of climate change. Scientists will use the data collected to study the risks to coastlines and the people living there.
To measure sea levels, the satellites emit electromagnetic signals down to the Earth’s oceans, and then scientists measure the amount of time the signals take to bounce back.
NASA is hopeful that the project would also significantly contribute to collecting information on various atmospheric phenomena like temperature and humidity for better climate models and more accurate weather forecasts.
Karen St. Germain [sahn jer-MAHN], director of NASA’s Earth Science Division, stated that this satellite’s data would help deepen the extent of their understanding of how Earth changes over time. Through this technology, NASA will be able to identify areas that are vulnerable to flooding, storm surges, and other calamitous events, which are critical information for coastal communities around the world.
A twin satellite, the Sentinel-6B, will be launched in about five years to ensure the continuity of global sea level records.