Sensor · Spaceborne

Sentinel-6 GNSS Radio Occultation instrument

Missions → Sentinel-6B (Operational) , Sentinel-6A Michael Freilich (Operational)

Sentinel-6 GNSS radio occultation payload for atmospheric vertical profiles.

Sensor

The Sentinel-6 GNSS Radio Occultation instrument is a passive L-band GNSS receiver for high-vertical-resolution temperature and humidity sounding, with additional space-weather use.^[1] It measures phase delay from refracted GNSS signals during occultations between navigation satellites and the Sentinel-6 spacecraft.^[1] It uses L-band frequencies at 1.2276 and 1.57542 GHz.^[1] The payload uses fore- and aft-looking antennas and collects radio-occultation data from GPS and GLONASS signals as satellites rise or set over the horizon.^[2] The instrument performs GNSS radio occultation, demonstrated on Sentinel-6A.^[1]

Where this fits, supply chain

Compositional position

Sentinel-6B ——— this payload

Sentinel-6A Michael Freilich ——— this payload

this ——— Sentinel-6B (Operational) flies on

this ——— Sentinel-6A Michael Freilich (Operational) flies on

Methods this sensor implements

Demonstrated

GNSS radio occultationvia Sentinel-6B
Sentinel-6B GNSS-RO instrument provides atmospheric vertical profiles.

Capable, undemonstrated

None on record.

Topics this relates to

Atmospheric profiling GNSS radio occultation(demonstrated)well suited

Sources

[1]WMO OSCAR instrument record: GNSS-RO (Sentinel-6)agency doc-2026-06-16
[2]Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich GNSS-RO Near-Real-Time Science Data Product Releaseagency doc2021-08-032026-06-16
[3]Sentinel-6 instrument payload, Copernicus Sentinel Onlineagency doc-2026-06-16

Cite https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/sentinel-6-gnss-ro Markdown twin → Field definitions →