28 January 2025 – Arianespace signs two agreements on Ariane 6 with key European institutions at the 17th European Space Conference. The European Commission, the European Space Agency (ESA) and EUMETSAT have reaffirmed their support for Ariane 6, Europe’s new heavy-lift launcher. The European Commission and ESA have entrusted Arianespace with the launch of Sentinel-1D in the second half of 2025, with the 2-booster version of Ariane 6 (Ariane 62). The satellite is part of Copernicus, the Earth observation component of the European Union’s Space Programme. As the world’s most advanced Earth observation system, Copernicus provides continuous, free, and reliable Earth observation data and services to public authorities, companies and citizens around the globe. Sentinel-1D will carry advanced radar technology to provide an all-weather, day-and-night supply of imagery of the Earth’s surface, delivering data essential to monitoring sea ice, track icebergs and glaciers, subsidence, and oil spills. Read more