Sentinel-5 Precursor

Last updated
Sentinel-5 Precursor
Sentinel 5P model.jpg
Sentinel-5P model
Manufacturer Astrium UK
Operator ESA
Applications Atmospheric composition, air pollution, ozone layer monitoring
Specifications
Spacecraft typeSatellite
Bus Astrobus-L 250 M [1]
Launch mass900 kilograms (2,000 lb)
Dry mass820 kilograms (1,810 lb)
Dimensions1.40 m × 0.65 m × 0.75 m (4.59 ft × 2.13 ft × 2.46 ft) – height × width × length [2]
Power1500 watts
Batteries156 Ah
EquipmentTROPOMI
Design life7 years
Production
StatusOperational
On order0
Built1
Launched1
Operational1
Maiden launch13 October 2017 [3]
Related spacecraft
Subsatellite of Sentinel constellation
←  Sentinel-4 Sentinel-6 →

Sentinel-5 Precursor (Sentinel-5P) is an Earth observation satellite developed by ESA as part of the Copernicus Programme to close the gap in continuity of observations between Envisat and Sentinel-5. [4] It was launched in October 2017, and has a design life of 7 years. The TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (Tropomi) provides the most detailed methane emissions monitoring available. [5]

Contents

Overview

Sentinel-5P is the first mission of the Copernicus Programme dedicated to monitoring air pollution. Its instrument, Tropomi, is an ultraviolet, visible, near and short-wavelength infrared spectrometer. The satellite is built on a hexagonal Astrobus L 250 satellite bus equipped with S- and X-band communication antennas, three foldable solar panels generating 1500 watts and hydrazine thrusters for station-keeping. [1] [2]

The satellite operates in an 824 km (512 mi) Sun-synchronous orbit with a Local Time of Ascending Node of 13:30 hours.

Pre-launch

The first large contract for Sentinel-5P was signed in July 2009 for Tropomi instrument between the European Space Agency and Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs which contributed €78 million. [6] On 8 December 2011, ESA selected Astrium UK as a prime contractor for the satellite, signing contract worth €45.5 million. [7] Construction of the satellite itself was completed in May 2014, followed by successful integration with its primary instrument. [8] From design to launch Tropomi cost €220 million. [9]

Launch

The satellite was launched by Eurockot Launch Services onboard Rokot. [3] The launch was originally planned for late 2014, but after multiple postponements, was launched on 13 October 2017 at 09:27 UTC from Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 133. Sentinel-5P successfully reached its final orbit 79 minutes after lift-off. [10]

Tropomi instrument

Sentinel-5P carries a single instrument, the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (Tropomi). Tropomi is a spectrometer sensing ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), near-infrared (NIR) and short-wave infrared (SWIR) wavelengths of light to monitor ozone, methane, formaldehyde, aerosol, carbon monoxide, NO2 and SO2 in the atmosphere. It extends the capabilities of the OMI from the Aura satellite and the SCIAMACHY instrument from Envisat. [11]

Tropomi is taking measurements every second covering an area approximately 2,600 km (1,600 mi) wide and 7 km (4.3 mi) at a resolution of 7 x 7 km. The total mass of Tropomi is approximately 200 kg (440 lb) with a power consumption of 170 watts on average and a data output of 140 Gbit per orbit. [12] [1]

Instrument design and construction

Tropomi was built by a joint venture between the Netherlands Space Office, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research and Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands. [6] [13]

The instrument is split into four major blocks: the UV, VIS and NIR spectrometers and a calibration block, the SWIR spectrometer with its optics, the instrument control unit, and a cooling block. Light is separated into different wavelengths using grating spectrometers and then measured with four different detectors corresponding to the respective spectral bands. The UV spectrometer has a spectral range of 270-320 nm, the visible light spectrometer has a range of 310-500 nm, the NIR spectrometer has a range of 675-775 nm, and the SWIR spectrometer has a range of 2305-2385 nm. [12]

SWIR spectrometer

The SWIR spectrometer was designed and built by the Optical Payloads Group of Surrey Satellites (SSTL); it employs an immersed grating design in which light impinges upon an etched grating from within a high-index silicon substrate. The reduced wavelength within the refractive medium permits an efficient, space-saving design. The SWIR grating was provided by SRON (Netherlands), who also provided the Front-End Electronics (FEE). The SWIR spectrometer receives light from the main instrument via an intermediate pupil, and directs it via a telescope towards a slit which defines the along-track footprint of the instrument on the ground. Light from the slit is re-collimated, diffracted by the immersed-grating at high-order, and finally imaged onto a two-dimensional detector by a high aperture relay lens. The SWIR detector (furnished by Sofradir, France) has 256 elements in the across-track direction and 1024 elements in the spectral direction, with an element pitch of 30 microns; it is operated cold (typically 140 K). The SWIR spectrometer optics are mounted on a cooled optical bench (approximately 200K) and the instrument is insulated by a multiple-layer insulation (MLI) blanket. The SWIR instrument was aligned, focussed and characterised at the Mullard Space Science laboratory thermal vacuum facility in Surrey, UK.[ citation needed ]

Applications

Sentinel-5P Tropomi showed substantial reductions in nitrogen dioxide amounts over Chinese cities between late January and February 2020. These were linked to China's response to the coronavirus pandemic which greatly reduced industrial and other polluting activities. [14] Tropomi pollution data also helped to confirm a correlation between a higher incidence of COVID-19 and chronic exposure to air pollutants. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Envisat</span> ESA Earth observation satellite (2002–2012)

Envisat is a large Earth-observing satellite which has been inactive since 2012. It is still in orbit and considered space debris. Operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), it was the world's largest civilian Earth observation satellite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XMM-Newton</span> X-ray space observatory

XMM-Newton, also known as the High Throughput X-ray Spectroscopy Mission and the X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission, is an X-ray space observatory launched by the European Space Agency in December 1999 on an Ariane 5 rocket. It is the second cornerstone mission of ESA's Horizon 2000 programme. Named after physicist and astronomer Sir Isaac Newton, the spacecraft is tasked with investigating interstellar X-ray sources, performing narrow- and broad-range spectroscopy, and performing the first simultaneous imaging of objects in both X-ray and optical wavelengths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Infrared Space Observatory</span> Orbital satellite telescope

The Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) was a space telescope for infrared light designed and operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), in cooperation with ISAS and NASA. The ISO was designed to study infrared light at wavelengths of 2.5 to 240 micrometres and operated from 1995 to 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rokot</span> Russian space launch vehicle

Rokot, also transliterated Rockot, was a Soviet Union space launch vehicle that was capable of launching a payload of 1,950 kilograms (4,300 lb) into a 200-kilometre (120 mi) Earth orbit with 63° inclination. It was based on the UR-100N intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), supplied and operated by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. The first launches started in the 1990s from Baikonur Cosmodrome out of a silo. Later commercial launches commenced from Plesetsk Cosmodrome using a launch ramp specially rebuilt from one for the Kosmos-3M launch vehicle. The cost of the launcher itself was about US$15 million in 1999; The contract with European Space Agency (ESA) for launching Swarm in September 2013 was worth €27.1 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MERIS</span>

MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) was one of the main instruments on board the European Space Agency (ESA)'s Envisat platform. The sensor was in orbit from 2002 to 2012. ESA formally announced the end of Envisat's mission on 9 May 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SCIAMACHY</span>

SCIAMACHY was one of ten instruments aboard of ESA's ENVIronmental SATellite, ENVISAT. It was a satellite spectrometer designed to measure sunlight, transmitted, reflected and scattered by the Earth's atmosphere or surface in the ultraviolet, visible and near infrared wavelength region at moderate spectral resolution. SCIAMACHY was built by Netherlands and Germany at TNO/TPD, SRON and Dutch Space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Copernicus Programme</span> Programme of the European Commission

Copernicus is the Earth observation component of the European Union Space Programme, managed by the European Commission and implemented in partnership with the EU Member States, the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Environment Agency (EEA), the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), Frontex, SatCen and Mercator Océan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Netherlands Institute for Space Research</span>

SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON) is a national Dutch institute for space research. It develops and uses innovative technology for analysis in space, focusing on astrophysical research, Earth observation, and exoplanetary research. SRON research includes new and more advanced sensors for X-rays, infrared radiation, and visible light.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sentinel-1</span> Earth observation satellite

Sentinel-1 is the first of the Copernicus Programme satellite constellations conducted by the European Space Agency. The mission was originally composed of a constellation of two satellites, Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B, which shared the same orbital plane. Two more satellites, Sentinel-1C and Sentinel-1D are in development. Sentinel-1B was retired following a power supply issue on December 23, 2021, leaving Sentinel-1A the only satellite of the constellation currently operating. Sentinel-1C is currently planned to launch in the final quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sentinel-2</span> Earth observation mission

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sentinel-3</span> Earth observation satellite series

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mission Science Division</span>

The Earth and Mission Science Division is a group of European Space Agency (ESA) staff mission scientists, contractors, research fellows, young graduates, trainees, and administrative staff working within the Climate Action, Sustainability and Science Department of the Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes. The Division is located at ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre in Noordwijk, South Holland, The Netherlands.

PRISMA is an Italian Space Agency pre-operational and technology demonstrator mission focused on the development and delivery of hyperspectral products and the qualification of the hyperspectral payload in space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sentinel-1A</span> European radar imaging satellite

Sentinel-1A is a European radar imaging satellite launched in 2014. It is the first Sentinel-1 satellite launched as part of the European Union's Copernicus programme. The satellite carries a C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar which will provide images in all light and weather conditions. It analyzes many phenomena occurring on Earth, from detecting and tracking oil spills and mapping sea ice to monitoring movement in land surfaces and mapping changes in the way land is used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaofen</span> Chinese satellites

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sentinel-4</span> Earth observation satellite

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Student Nitric Oxide Explorer</span> NASA satellite of the Explorer program

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Ralph (<i>New Horizons</i>)

Ralph is a science instrument aboard the robotic New Horizons spacecraft, which was launched in 2006. Ralph is a visible and infrared imager and spectrometer to provide maps of relevant astronomical targets based on data from that hardware. Ralph has two major subinstruments, LEISA and MVIC. MVIC stands for Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera and is a color imaging device, while LEISA originally stood for Linear Etalon Imaging Spectral Array and is an infrared imaging spectrometer for spaceflight. LEISA observes 250 discrete wavelengths of infrared light from 1.25 to 2.5 micrometers. MVIC is a pushbroom scanner type of design with seven channels, including red, blue, near-infrared (NIR), and methane.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Sentinel 5 Data Sheet" (PDF). ESA. August 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Copernicus: Sentinel-5P (Precursor - Atmospheric Monitoring Mission)". eoPortal. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  3. 1 2 "ESA books Eurockot Launch for Sentinel-5p Satellite". Eurockot Launch Services. 29 January 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  4. ↑ "Sentinels -4/-5 and -5P". ESA. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  5. ↑ Tollefson, Jeff (2018-04-11). "US environmental group wins millions to develop methane-monitoring satellite". Nature. 556 (7701): 283. Bibcode:2018Natur.556..283T. doi: 10.1038/d41586-018-04478-6 . PMID   29666485.
  6. 1 2 "Agreement between the Netherlands and ESA signed for Sentinel-5 Precursor instrument". ESA. 6 July 2009. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  7. ↑ "ESA selects Astrium to build Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite". ESA. 8 December 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  8. ↑ "Platform brings air monitoring a step closer". ESA. 27 May 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  9. ↑ "NLR essential link in Tropomi data processing". Oct 13, 2017. Retrieved Sep 26, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Air-quality monitoring satellite in orbit - News - Sentinel-5P - ESA Missions - Earth Online - ESA". Archived from the original on 2017-10-13. Retrieved 2017-10-13.
  11. ↑ "TROPOMI" . Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  12. 1 2 "TROPOMI: Instrument". Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  13. ↑ "Sentinel 5-Precursor/TROPOMI". Netherlands Institute for Space Research. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  14. ↑ "COVID-19: nitrogen dioxide over China". March 24, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  15. ↑ Pansini, Riccardo; Fornacca, Davide (2021). "COVID-19 Higher Mortality in Chinese Regions With Chronic Exposure to Lower Air Quality". Frontiers in Public Health. 8: 597753. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.597753 . ISSN   2296-2565. PMC   7874038 . PMID   33585383.
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