Altimetry missions

4.4. Altimetry missions#

The version 4 of CCI Sea State datasets includes for altimetry the missions described hereafter.

4.4.1. ERS-1#

Launch date : July 17, 1991

End of life date : March 31, 2000

Agency : ESA

Instrument : RA

Orbit characteristics :

  • Orbit type : Sun-synchronous near-circular polar orbit

  • Inclination : 98.52 degrees

  • Altitude : 785km

  • Nodal Period : approximately 100min (14,3 orbits per day)

  • Repeat Cycle : 35 days

Orbit life:

  • Tandem phase : from August 17, 1995 to June 6, 1996

  • Degraded status : from June 2, 1996 to March 11, 2000

4.4.2. TOPEX#

Launch date : August 10, 1992

End of life date : January 18, 2005

Agency : CNES/NASA

Instrument : NRA-SSALT

Orbit characteristics :

  • Orbit type : Non-heliosynchronous (prograde orbit)

  • Inclination : 66 degrees

  • Altitude : 1336 km

  • Nodal Period : 6745.72s

  • Repeat Cycle : 9.9156 days

Orbit life :

  • From August 2008 to September 2002 : in its nominal orbit.

  • Interleaved orbit from September 16, 2002 to October 18, 2005

4.4.3. ERS-2#

Launch date : April 21, 1995

End of life date : July 6, 2011

Agency : ESA

Instrument : RA

Orbit characteristics :

  • Orbit type : Sun-synchronous polar orbit (retrograde orbit)

  • Inclination : 98.52 degrees

  • Altitude : 785 km

  • Nodal Period : approximately 100min (14,3 orbits per day)

  • Repeat Cycle : 35 days

Orbit life :

  • Tandem phase : from August 17, 1995 to June 2, 1996

  • Degraded phase : from June 1, 2003 to July 6, 2011

4.4.4. JASON-1#

Launch date : December 7, 2001

End of life date : July 1, 2013

Agency : CNES/NASA

Instrument : Poseidon-2

Orbit characteristics :

  • Orbit type : Non-heliosynchronous (prograde orbit)

  • Inclination : 66 degrees

  • Altitude : 1336 km

  • Nodal Period : 6745.72s

  • Repeat Cycle : 9.9156 days

Orbit life :

  • Same orbit as Topex/Poseidon

  • Tandem phase : end on August 15, 2002

  • Interleaved orbit : from February 10, 2009 to May 7, 2012

  • Geodetic orbit : from May 7, 2012 to July 1, 2013

4.4.5. JASON-2#

Launch date : June 20, 2008

End of life date : October 1, 2019

Agency : CNES/NASA/EUMETSAT/NOAA

Instrument : Poseidon-3

Orbit characteristics :

  • Orbit type : Non-heliosynchronous (prograde orbit)

  • Inclination : 66 degrees

  • Altitude : 1336 km

  • Nodal Period : 6745.72s

Orbit life :

  • From June 2008 to October 2016 : in its nominal orbit.

  • Tandem phase with Jason-2 from February 12th to October 2nd 2016

  • Interleaved orbit : from October 14, 2016 to January 1, 2017

  • Geodetic orbit : from July 10, 2017 to October 1, 2019

4.4.6. JASON-3#

Launch date : January 17, 2016

End of life date : Active mission

Agency : CNES/NASA/EUMETSAT/NOAA

Instrument : Poseidon-3B

Orbit characteristics :

  • Orbit type : Non-heliosynchronous (prograde orbit)

  • Inclination : 66 degrees

  • Altitude : 1336 km

  • Nodal Period : 6745.72s

  • Repeat Cycle : 9.9156 days

Orbit life :

  • Tandem phase with Jason-2 from February 12th to October 2nd 2016

  • From January 2016 to April 2022 : in its nominal orbit.

  • Interleaved orbit : from April 25, 2022

4.4.7. ENVISAT#

Launch date : March 1, 2002

End of life date : June 8, 2012

Agency : ESA

Instrument : RA-2

Orbit characteristics :

  • Orbit type : Sun-synchronous (near-polar orbit)

  • Inclination: 98.55 degrees

  • Altitude: 799.38 km

  • Repeat cycle: 35 days

Orbit life :

  • From March 2002 to April 2012: Operated in its nominal orbit.

  • Tandem phase : from June 18, 2003 to October 20, 2003

4.4.8. CRYOSAT-2#

Launch date : April 8, 2010

End of life date : Still operational

Agency : ESA

Instrument : SIRAL

Orbit characteristics :

  • Orbit type: Non-sun-synchronous (prograde orbit)

  • Inclination: 92 degrees

  • Altitude: 717 km

  • Repeat cycle: 369 days

4.4.9. SARAL#

Launch date : February 25, 2013

End of life date : Still operational

Agency : CNES/ISRO

Instrument : AltiKa

Orbit characteristics :

  • Orbit type: Sun-synchronous (near-polar orbit)

  • Inclination: 98.55 degrees

  • Altitude: 800 km

  • Repeat cycle: 35 days

4.4.10. SENTINEL-3A#

Launch date : February 16, 2016

End of life date : Still operational

Agency : ESA

Instrument : SRAL

Orbit characteristics :

  • Orbit type: Sun-synchronous (near-polar orbit)

  • Inclination: 98.65 degrees

  • Altitude: 814.5 km

  • Repeat cycle: 27 days

Orbit life :

  • Tandem phase : from June 7, 2018 to October 16, 2018

4.4.11. SENTINEL-3B#

Launch date : April 25, 2018

End of life date : Still operational

Agency : ESA

Instrument : SRAL

Orbit characteristics :

  • Orbit type: Sun-synchronous (near-polar orbit)

  • Inclination: 98.65 degrees

  • Altitude: 814.5 km

  • Repeat cycle: 27 days (in tandem with Sentinel-3A)

Orbit life :

  • Operating in tandem with Sentinel-3A for better spatial and temporal coverage.

  • Tandem phase : from June 7, 2018 to October 16, 2018

4.4.12. SENTINEL-6A#

Launch date : November 21, 2020

End of life date : Still operational

Agency : ESA/EUMETSAT/EU/CNES/NOAA/NASA

Instrument : Poseidon-4

Orbit characteristics :

  • Orbit type: Non-sun-synchronous (prograde orbit)

  • Inclination: 66 degrees

  • Altitude: 1336 km

  • Repeat cycle: 9.9156 days

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