# Sentinel-6 GNSS Radio Occultation instrument
*sensor . products*

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

## Specifications
- **manufacturer**: nasa-jpl
- **deployment context**: orbital
- **sensor**: {"instrument_family":"radiometer","measurement_principle":"passive","frequency_bands_ghz":[1.2276,1.57542],"polarisation_modes":["GNSS L-band"],"scan_type":"static","notes":"GNSS radio occultation receiver using L-band GNSS signals; follows existing GRAS modelling pattern."}
- **entity type**: sensor
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-16
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: agency-sourced
- **provider**: nasa-jpl
- **attributes**: {"kind":"sensor","manufacturer":"nasa-jpl","deployment_context":"orbital","description":"Sentinel-6 GNSS radio occultation payload for atmospheric vertical profiles.","sensor":"{\"instrument_family\":\"radiometer\",\"measurement_principle\":\"passive\",\"frequency_bands_ghz\":[1.2276,1.57542],\"polarisation_modes\":[\"GNSS L-band\"],\"scan_type\":\"static\",\"notes\":\"GNSS radio occultation receiver using L-band GNSS signals; follows existing GRAS modelling pattern.\"}"}
- **relevance**: in-scope

## Editorial
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.[^wmo-gnss-ro-sentinel6] It measures phase delay from refracted GNSS signals during occultations between navigation satellites and the Sentinel-6 spacecraft.[^wmo-gnss-ro-sentinel6] It uses L-band frequencies at 1.2276 and 1.57542 GHz.[^wmo-gnss-ro-sentinel6] 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.[^jpl-s6-gnss-ro-release] The instrument performs GNSS radio occultation, demonstrated on Sentinel-6A.[^wmo-gnss-ro-sentinel6]

## Compositional position
- sentinel-6b (missions) --[mission_payloads]--> Sentinel-6 GNSS Radio Occultation instrument
- sentinel-6a (missions) --[mission_payloads]--> Sentinel-6 GNSS Radio Occultation instrument

## Sources
- [wmo-gnss-ro-sentinel6] | WMO OSCAR instrument record: GNSS-RO (Sentinel-6) | https://space.oscar.wmo.int/instruments/view/gnss_ro_sentinel_6 | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-16
- [jpl-s6-gnss-ro-release] | Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich GNSS-RO Near-Real-Time Science Data Product Release | https://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/internal_resources/771 | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-16 | published=2021-08-03
- [copernicus-s6-payload] | Sentinel-6 instrument payload, Copernicus Sentinel Online | https://sentinels.copernicus.eu/missions/sentinel-6/instrument-payload | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-16

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/sentinel-6-gnss-ro
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)