17/02/2015 (Agence Europe) -Sentinel-3A launch successful. On Tuesday 16 February, the European Space Agency's (ESA) third Copernicus satellite programme was successively put into orbit using the Rockot launcher from the Plessetsk cosmodrome in Russia. The Copernicus programme (see EUROPE 11240) will be used for surveillance of the Earth and will consist of a total of six satellites. Sentinel-3B, the twin Sentinel 3A satellites, are expected to be launched in 2017. (PH)