In preparation for liftoff on 4 September 2024 (3 September Kourou time), the Vega–Sentinel-2C upper-composite has been hoisted into the launch tower at Europe’s Spaceport.

The Sentinel-2 mission is based on a constellation of two identical satellites, Sentinel-2A (launched in 2015) and Sentinel-2B (launched in 2017), flying in the same orbit but 180° apart to optimise coverage and revisit time.

Each satellite carries a high-resolution multispectral imager to deliver optical images from the visible to the shortwave-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. From the altitude of 786 km, the satellites provide images in 13 spectral bands with resolutions of 10, 20 and 60 m over a large swath width of 290 km.

Data collected from Sentinel-2 are used for a wide range of applications, including precision farming, water quality monitoring, natural disaster management and methane emission detection.

Sentinel-2C launches on Vega, Europe’s nimble rocket specialising in launching small scientific and Earth observation spacecraft such as to sun-synchronous polar orbits, following the Sun.

At 30 m tall, Vega weighs 137 tonnes on the launch pad and reaches orbit with three solid-propellant powered stages before the fourth liquid-propellant stage takes over for precise placement of Sentinel-2C into its orbit. By rocket standards Vega is light-weight and powerful, the first three stages burn through their fuel and bring Vega and its satellite to space in just seven minutes.

Once in orbit, Sentinel-2C will replace its predecessor, Sentinel-2A, while Sentinel-2D will later replace Sentinel-2B.