Operator
European Commission (EC)Manufacturer
European Commission (EC)Sentinel-6B Mission
11/17/2025
As of December 20, 2022, Sentinel-6B was targeted to launch in November 2025 from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
As of September 7, 2024, an external excerpt listed Sentinel-6B with a mass at launch of 1440 kg, a dry mass of at least 1191 kg, an orbital inclination of 66°, and an orbital altitude of 1336 km, and indicated launch ≥2026 (later updated to ≥2025).
Sentinel-6B will use a radar altimeter to measure sea-surface height and will collect high-resolution vertical temperature profiles using Global Navigation Satellite System Radio-Occultation (GNSS-RO) sounding.
Falcon 9 is vertical at pad 4E in California ahead of the launch of Sentinel-6B.
On November 17, 2025, SpaceX completed the launch of Sentinel-6B aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, confirming the insertion of the satellite into orbit.