23/11/2020 (Agence Europe) – The Sentinel-6a satellite of the Copernicus programme was launched into orbit on the morning of Saturday 21 November. It will be used to measure the rise of the earth’s waters at the centimetre level and, with the coupling of atmospheric data, it will enable weather forecasts to be modelled with much greater finesse. In an unusual circumstance, the satellite was put into orbit with the help of a Falcon 9 from the American company Space X. NASA, the U.S. space agency, invested half of the cost of the project and reportedly “offered” the launch. The mission is worth a total of 800 million euros. The sister satellite Sentinel-6b will be launched in 2025. But doubts remain on the industry side, due to the reduced budget agreed by the Member States and the European Parliament on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (see EUROPE 12563/14). (PH)