14.11.2025
SpaceX to Launch NASA’s Sentinel-6B Satellite from Vandenberg on November 16
SpaceX launching NASA’s Sentinel-6B Satellite. Image Source: NASA website
SpaceX is set to launch NASA’s Sentinel-6B satellite from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on November 16, 2025.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch NASA’s Sentinel-6B satellite, with liftoff targeted for 9:21 p.m. PT on November 16 from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E). The Sentinel-6B is an identical twin of Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, which launched aboard a Falcon 9 in November 2020.
The Falcon 9 rocket’s first-stage booster will be flying its third mission, having previously supported two Starlink launches. After liftoff, it is expected to land on Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, will manage the launch, while the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California will oversee NASA’s mission contributions.
The launch marks the next phase of the global mission to track the sea level and atmospheric changes from space with high precision.
Depending on weather and atmospheric conditions, residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the launch and landing.
Where to Watch the Sentinel-6B Launch
A live webcast will begin one hour before liftoff. Viewers can watch on NASA Television, NASA’s website, SpaceX’s official website, SpaceX’s official X account, and the X TV app.
NASA will hold a pre-launch and science briefing on November 15, 2025, offering insights into the spacecraft’s mission objectives.
About Sentinel-6B Mission
The mission is a collaboration among NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the French Space Agency (CNES).
Sentinel-6B is part of the international Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission, which monitors global sea levels and atmospheric temperature measurements. The satellite uses the radar technology that bounces signals off the ocean surface to provide continuous, high-precision topography of the world’s oceans.
The twin satellites measure sea levels with an accuracy of about one inch across about 90% of the Earth’s oceans, providing critical data for climate and weather forecasting.
Legacy of Ocean Observation
Since the 1990s, NASA and its partners have relied on a series of satellites to provideprecise sea level measurements critical to understanding Earth’s changing climate.
Launched in 2020, the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite marked the next phase of a global partnership that began more than three decades ago.
Sentinel-6B will help scientists and policymakers to monitor rising sea levels, refine storm and weather prediction models, and protect coastal infrastructure. Once in orbit, Sentinel-6B will take over from its twin to continue vital ocean and climate monitoring into the next decade.
Quelle: edhat