The investigation concluded that two 28-volt power regulators for the Sentinel-1B SAR payload malfunctioned and that one regulator is needed to operate the payload.
ESA plans to continue efforts to recover the Sentinel-1B payload until it is certain the satellite cannot be returned to service while also planning to launch a replacement, Sentinel-1C, in the first half of 2023.
Sentinel-1C will round out the initial capacity offered by Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B to provide environmental and security monitoring via spaceborne radar systems.
Arianespace launched Sentinel-1A in 2014 and Sentinel-1B in 2016.
Sentinel-1B suffered a malfunction in December 2021 that took the spacecraft out of service due to problems with the power system for its synthetic aperture radar imaging payload.
Sentinel-1C will round out the initial capacity offered by Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B to provide radar-based environmental and security monitoring.
Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B were launched by Arianespace in 2014 and 2016, respectively.
The Sentinel-1B satellite was launched in April 2016.
Josef Aschbacher, director general of ESA, expressed that the prospects for recovering Sentinel-1B do not look very good but that hope has not been abandoned.
The Sentinel-1B spacecraft itself remains under control despite the issues with the payload.
As of February 25, 2023, ESA has not yet identified a root cause for the anomaly affecting the main and backup power systems of Sentinel-1B's SAR payload.
ESA is continuing investigations into the cause of the Sentinel-1B satellite's problems for at least the next few weeks.
ESA is considering moving up the launch of the new SAR satellite, Sentinel-1C, in response to the potential loss of Sentinel-1B.
The Sentinel-1B spacecraft has been unable to collect C-band synthetic aperture radar imagery since its malfunction.
The European Space Agency is continuing efforts to recover the Sentinel-1B radar imaging satellite that malfunctioned in December 2022.
Simonetta Cheli, director of Earth observation at ESA, stated that engineers have reviewed 18 potential causes for Sentinel-1B's power failure.
ESA would be ready to launch Sentinel-1C at any time after the October flight acceptance review if the Sentinel-1B investigation does not require design changes to Sentinel-1C.
Airbus Defence and Space provided the C-band synthetic aperture radar instrument for Sentinel-1B.