Successful launch of EU Sentinel-5A satellite. Will monitor air quality

Brussels – The Copernicus Sentinel-5 satellite was successfully launched today (13 August) aboard an Ariane 6 rocket from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. This is a major step forward in Europe’s ability to monitor air pollution and atmospheric health on a global scale. 

Developed in close cooperation between the European Commission, the European Space Agency (ESA), EUMETSAT and Arianespace, Sentinel-5 will provide daily high-resolution data on air pollutants and trace gases in the atmosphere worldwide. The satellite will orbit the Earth approximately every 100 minutes. 

Once operational, the mission will support key EU environmental and climate policies, including the Methane Strategy, the Ambient Air Quality Directive and the Zero Pollution Action Plan. These, says a Commission note, will be key to promoting pollution reduction efforts and improving air quality management in Europe and beyond.

 Together with the geostationary satellite Sentinel-4 and the upcoming CO₂ monitoring mission (CO2M), Sentinel-5 further consolidates Copernicus as one of the most advanced Earth observation systems in the world, particularly in monitoring the atmosphere.