Sentinel-1D extends global radar imaging as new Copernicus satellite enters orbit

by Robert Schreiber
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Nov 10, 2025
The European Space Agency's Sentinel-1D satellite, equipped with Airbus's Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), has successfully launched, joining Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1C in orbit. This addition ensures uninterrupted radar data acquisition for monitoring worldwide land and ocean environments with an operational lifetime planned for over seven years.

Sentinel-1D supports a range of missions as part of the Copernicus programme, encompassing the surveillance of land masses, sea- and land-ice, and ocean conditions along with emergency response scenarios.

SAR's technical capabilities allow for continuous imaging regardless of weather, time of day, or visibility conditions. Unlike optical satellites, SAR actively transmits and receives radio waves, enabling penetration through clouds, fog, and rain to deliver comprehensive and timely data. These instruments distinguish surface characteristics, monitor geohazards such as volcanic activity and earthquake-related deformation, and penetrate vegetation layers to analyze environmental changes.

The Airbus design process produced a 12-metre antenna integrating signal distribution, radiation, and mechanical strength, using advanced waveguide radiator technology developed in Friedrichshafen. This construction, combined with a complex synchronization system across 280 transmit and receive modules, achieves high-resolution data necessary for precise scientific analysis, particularly interferometric measurements.

Engineers faced significant challenges folding the 12-metre antenna to fit within the rocket and deploying it with millimetre precision in orbit. Specialized test rigs and patented joints were implemented to ensure accurate deployment and later facilitate rapid and total disintegration during atmospheric re-entry, minimizing space debris.

Sentinel-1 radar features four operational modes for different observational needs: Interferometric Wide Swath (IW) for land coverage, Extra-Wide Swath (EW) for oceans and coasts, Wave Mode (WV) for measuring ocean wave dynamics, and StripMap (SM) for detailed imaging of localized targets.

Applications range from agricultural monitoring, geological risk assessment, disaster response, and maritime surveillance to oil slick detection and analysis of earthquake consequences. Sentinel-1 data supports operational agencies such as the Copernicus Emergency Management Service and scientific researchers mapping event-driven surface changes.

With Sentinel-1D now operational, Europe maintains a robust monitoring capacity essential for environmental protection and safety.