# Sentinel-3A
*missions*

## Specifications
- **operator**: esa
- **actual launch**: 2016-02-16
- **current status**: extended
- **orbit type**: Near-polar sun-synchronous orbit, 814.5 km reference altitude, 98.65 degree inclination, 10:00 descending node
- **swath km**: 1270
- **paired revisit days**: 2
- **tasking supported**: false
- **archive depth years**: 10
- **current geographic priority**: Systematic global ocean, land, ice, inland-water, and atmosphere monitoring under Copernicus
- **launch vehicle**: rockot-breeze-km
- **entity type**: mission
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-14
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: agency-sourced
- **provider**: esa
- **attributes**: {"operator":"esa","actual_launch":"2016-02-16","current_status":"extended","orbit_type":"Near-polar sun-synchronous orbit, 814.5 km reference altitude, 98.65 degree inclination, 10:00 descending node","swath_km":1270,"paired_revisit_days":2,"tasking_supported":false,"archive_depth_years":10,"current_geographic_priority":"Systematic global ocean, land, ice, inland-water, and atmosphere monitoring under Copernicus","launch_vehicle":"rockot-breeze-km"}
- **relevance**: in-scope

## Editorial
Sentinel-3A is an ESA-operated Copernicus Earth observation satellite for ocean, land, ice, inland-water, and atmosphere monitoring. It launched on 2016-02-16 and remains in extended operation as of 2026-06-14.[^esa-sentinel-3-facts][^copernicus-sentinel-3] The spacecraft flies in a near-polar sun-synchronous orbit with an 814.5 km reference altitude, 98.65 degree inclination, and 10:00 descending node.[^sentiwiki-s3-mission]

The Sentinel-3A payload includes OLCI, SLSTR, SRAL, and MWR.[^eumetsat-sentinel-3] Its observation pattern is systematic monitoring rather than user tasking. The D1 mission record carries a 1,270 km swath, a two-day paired revisit with Sentinel-3B, and about 10 years of archive depth as of the 2026-06-14 verification date.[^sentiwiki-s3-mission][^eumetsat-sentinel-3]

## Compositional position
- Sentinel-3A --[mission_payloads]--> slstr (products)
- Sentinel-3A --[mission_payloads]--> olci (products)

## Sources
- [esa-sentinel-3-facts] | Sentinel-3 facts and figures, ESA | https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-3/Facts_and_figures | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14
- [sentiwiki-s3-mission] | S3 Mission, SentiWiki Copernicus | https://sentiwiki.copernicus.eu/web/s3-mission | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14
- [eumetsat-sentinel-3] | Sentinel-3, EUMETSAT | https://www.eumetsat.int/sentinel-3 | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14
- [copernicus-sentinel-3] | Sentinel-3, Copernicus Sentinel Online | https://sentinels.copernicus.eu/copernicus/sentinel-3 | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14

---
Source: https://eo-atlas.org/missions/sentinel-3a
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)