Sentinel-2C

Sentinel-2C is the third flight unit of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 programme, operated by ESA. It launched on 2024-09-05 aboard the final Vega rocket and completed in-orbit commissioning by late December 2024. On 2025-01-21 it replaced Sentinel-2A in routine operations, forming a nominal 180-degree phased pair with Sentinel-2B and delivering a combined 5-day global revisit. The satellite carries the MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI), providing 13 spectral bands from visible to shortwave infrared at 10, 20 and 60 m spatial resolution across a 290 km swath. Data are distributed free and open under the Copernicus Open Access Policy and support applications including land cover and change mapping, crop monitoring, coastal and inland water observation, and disaster mapping. The Sentinel-2 satellites were designed and built by an Airbus-led industrial consortium. Launch is recorded as 2024-09-05 by the ESA programme; local Kourou time placed the event on 2024-09-04. ^{[1][2][3][4][5]}