The mission, designated VA265, will mark the third commercial flight of the Ariane 6 heavy-lift launcher, Europe’s successor to the long-serving Ariane 5. The rocket is scheduled to deploy Sentinel-1D into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of approximately 693 kilometres, with spacecraft separation expected roughly 34 minutes after lift-off.
Sentinel-1D forms part of Copernicus, the European Union’s flagship Earth observation initiative and one of the most ambitious environmental monitoring programs ever developed. Jointly managed by the European Commission and the European Space Agency, Copernicus provides continuous, open and freely accessible satellite data used for tracking climate change, mapping natural disasters, managing agriculture and fisheries and enhancing maritime safety.
Equipped with an advanced C-band synthetic aperture radar, Sentinel-1D will deliver high-resolution, all-weather, day and night imagery of the Earth’s surface. Its radar system will enable critical monitoring of sea ice, glacier movement, oil spills, land subsidence and other environmental changes – vital data for governments, researchers and industries worldwide.
The spacecraft, built by Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67 per cent) and Leonardo (33 per cent), arrived at the Guiana Space Centre on 11 September 2025 for final integration and pre-launch testing.
Ariane 6, developed under the leadership of ArianeGroup and operated by Arianespace, is designed to ensure Europe’s independent access to space amid rising competition from American and Asian launch providers. Its modular design allows for both heavy payload launches and smaller, more cost-efficient missions, positioning it as a cornerstone of Europe’s future space ambitions.
Arianespace said the VA265 mission underscores its commitment to using space technology for societal benefit.
“This launch demonstrates Europe’s continued leadership in space-based Earth observation and our determination to ensure autonomous, reliable access to orbit,” an Arianespace spokesperson said.
Sentinel-1D will join its operational counterparts Sentinel-1A and 1C, further strengthening the Copernicus constellation’s capacity to deliver uninterrupted environmental data – a crucial asset in tackling the global challenges of climate change, disaster response and sustainable development.