Copernicus Sentinel-1D unpacked

The Copernicus Sentinel-1D satellite was removed from its container and placed onto its integration trolley in the S5C Payload Processing Facility at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on 12 September 2025. Sentinel-1D will replace the older Sentinel-1A satellite, which has been in orbit for almost 11 years now, well beyond its planned lifetime. Developed by ESA for the European Commission, the Sentinel-1 mission is based on a constellation of two identical satellites flying in the same orbit but 180° apart to optimise global coverage and data delivery for Copernicus. Carrying advanced radar technology to provide an all-weather supply of imagery of Earth’s surface, the ambitious Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission has raised the bar for spaceborne radar.