New Sentinel-6B datasets declared
The Sentinel-6B mission was launched in November 17st2025. It is designed to provide continuity to TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, OSTM/Jason-2, Jason-3 and Sentinel-6A missions. The mission is based on the same orbital features and its geographic coverage is 66°S – 66°N.
The first months of measurement are carried out in the formation flight, where Sentinel-6B and its predecessor are acquiring data using the same ground track separated by few seconds. This step allows the complete quality and validation (CalVal) assessment of the mission, necessary before the official release of Sentinel-6B Level-2 measurements.
During this phase, the DUACS system is preparing to integrate Sentinel‑6B measurements in the NRT production. If the CalVal phase is validated, the integration will become effective around November 2026. The datasets intended to host these measurements are being created in advance so that the data can be delivered as soon as it becomes available.
Sentinel-6B will be introduced into the SL-TAC system as the new reference mission instead of Sentinel-6A. On the same day, Sentinel-6A will temporary deactivated from the DUACS system. The orbit of this latest mission will be slightly adjusted in order to optimally sample mesoscale signals beneath the Sentinel‑6 ground track. The ground track will remain the same, but the two Sentinel‑6A/B altimeters will sample the same surface area with a time lag of a few days. Sentinel-6A will be reintroduced in the DUACS system once its new orbit has been reached.
As its predecessor, Sentinel-6AB is operating in two different modes:
- Low Resolution (LR) mode: based on an LRM instrument as the one used for Jason-3.
- High Resolution (HR) mode: based on SAR technology as the one used for Sentinel-3A/B.
The DUACS NRT production will be based in HR mode measurements. Any global or regional biases that may be observed between Sentinel‑6A and Sentinel‑6B will be corrected to ensure a smooth transition for users.