Naming a satellite after a person – other than historical or mythical figures – is a very rare occurrence.

The first spacecraft in the next-generation of a joint US-European satellite mission monitoring global sea level rise will be named after retired NASA scientist Mike Freilich, in honour of his decades-long championing of Earth science.

EUMETSAT’s 2018 Annual Report is now available to view and download.

Testing is underway on the spacecraft that will provide highly accurate measurements of the amount and rate of global sea level rise until the 2030s through a joint European-US mission.

The upcoming deployment of two next-generation meteorological satellite systems will bring weather forecasting accuracy and climate monitoring into a new era, the head of Europe’s meteorological satellite agency said today.

The Copernicus Sentinel-6 satellite, which will measure sea-level rise and ice thickness, will be available for a last visit in the cleanroom before it is further tested and prepared for launch in late 2020 from the Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.