BackForward Satellite Programme: Sentinel-2 

Programme details
Programme description
  • Two-satellite programme for land observation.
  • ESA programme co-sponsored by the European Commission in the context of the Copernicus programme (formerly: GMES, Global Monitoring for Environment and Security).  ESA responsible of development and operations.
  • The platforms are actively stabilised over 3 axes.
  • The design life time is 7.25 years.
  • The satellites are launched at a short time interval in order to fly in constellation for larger combined swath, stereoscopy and redundancy.  Sunsynchronous orbit around 10:30.  180° dephasing between the two satellites.
  • See detailed description at https://www.eoportal/satellite-missions/copernicus-sentinel-2
Data circulation
  • The global data are downlinked in real-time to a network of ground stations and, when ready, the European Data Relay Satellite system (EDRS). 
  • Selected data (limited areas or low-resolution mode) can be stored onboard.
  • Data are processed at the Payload Data Ground Segment (PDGS), a distributed system common to other Sentinel satellites of the GMES framework.
Agencies ESA , EC
Programme lifetime 2015 - 2033
Associated satellites and instruments

Note: red tag => no longer operational , green tag => operational , blue tag => planned