Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Sentinel-6B Launch

Livestream on X

Sentinel-6B Launch

Live coverage of prelaunch and launch activities for Sentinel-6B, an international mission delivering critical sea level and ocean data to protect coastal infrastructure, improve weather forecasting, and support commercial activities […]

Watch live: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches ocean monitoring satellite for NASA and Europe

Watch live coverage as SpaceX launches a Falcon 9 rocket from California carrying the Sentinel-6B satellite for NASA, NOAA, and European space and weather organizations. Liftoff from Space Launch Comp...

Sentinel-6

With global mean sea level rising because of climate change, Copernicus Sentinel-6 is the next radar altimetry reference mission to extend the legacy of sea-surface height measurements until at least 2030. The satellite carries a Poseidon-4 radar altimeter and a microwave radiometer.

SpaceX

SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 to revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.

Sentinel-6B

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Low Earth Orbit
Mission: Earth Science

Low Earth Orbit Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA Probability: 90%
B1097 - Landing Zone 4

The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich (launched November 2020) and Sentinel-6B make up the Sentinel-6 mission, also known as Jason Continuity of Service (Jason-CS), which is a partnership between NASA, NOAA, ESA, and EUMETSAT. This mission continues the long-term global sea surface height data record begun by first Jason satellites in 1992.

Telemetry

Launch trajectory and telemetry simulations provided by Flight Club - a rocket launch simulator and orbital trajectory visualiser for all things space!

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • Nov. 15, 2025, 9:13 p.m.

Tweaked T-0.


Cosmic_Penguin • Nov. 15, 2025, 9:29 p.m.

Updated launch weather, 40% GO.


Cosmic_Penguin • Nov. 16, 2025, 11 p.m.

Tweaked T-0.


LL2 • Nov. 17, 2025, 4:28 a.m.

Official Webcast by NASA has started


Cosmic_Penguin • Nov. 17, 2025, 4:31 a.m.

Updated launch weather, 90% GO.


Falcon 9

Family:
Configuration: Block 5

Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.

See Details
Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    70.0 m
  • Diameter
    3.65 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    5.2 m
  • Launch Mass
    549.0 T
  • Thrust
    7607.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Falcon 9
  • Family
  • Variant
    Block 5
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Falcon 9 Block 5
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $52000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    22800.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    8300.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

Booster Info


B1097

Status: Active


Type: Core
Flight Proven: Yes
First Flight: September 3, 2025
Last Flight: March 8, 2026
Flights: 7
Landings Attempted: 7
Landings Successful: 7
Previous B1097 Flights

Landing Information

The Falcon 9 first stage B1097 has landed on Landing Zone 4 after its 3rd flight.

Result: Successful Return to Launch Site landing at Landing Zone 4.

SpaceX

SpaceX

(SpX)

CEO: Elon Musk Founded: 2002 Successes: 642 Failures: 15 Pending: 123

Agency Type:

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars. SpaceX operates from many pads, on the East Coast of the US they operate from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and historic LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. They also operate from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, usually for polar launches. Another launch site is being developed at Boca Chica, Texas.

INFO WIKI

Related News

NASA

NASA Awards Launch Services Contract for Sentinel-6B Mission

NASA has selected Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, California, to provide launch services for the Sentinel-6B mission.

Teslarati

SpaceX wins Sentinel 6B radar satellite launch contract

SpaceX has won a contract to launch the joint US-European Sentinel 6B radar satellite as early as November 2025. Five years ago,...

NASA

NASA JPL Prepping for Full Year of Launches, Mission Milestones

Missions will study everything from water on the Moon to the transformation of our universe after the big bang and ongoing changes to Earth’s surface. With 2024 receding into the distance, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is already deep i…

ESA

Sea-level monitoring satellite Sentinel-6B sets sail

The next sea-level monitoring satellite, Copernicus Sentinel-6B, has begun its journey from Europe to the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, where it is scheduled to launch in November. Carefully packed into a climate-controlled co…

NASA

New U.S.-European Sea Level Satellite Will Help Safeguard Ships at Sea

Sea surface height data from the Sentinel-6B satellite, led by NASA and ESA, will help with the development of marine weather forecasts, alerting ships to possible dangers. Because most global trade travels by ship, accurate, timely ocean …

Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Space Launch Complex 4E


Falcon 9
Go
1 day, 9 hours ago
Starlink Group 17-35
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Go
1 day, 20 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-58
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Soyuz-5
TBC
1 day, 21 hours ago
Demo Flight
45/1 - Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Demonstration Flight for Russia's new Soyuz-5 launch vehicle, with a mass simulator on board. Details TBD.


Space Launch System (SLS)
Go
2 days, 10 hours ago
Artemis II
Launch Complex 39B - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Artemis II is the first crewed mission as part of the Artemis program. Artemis II will send a crew of 4 - 3 Americans and 1 Canadian around the moon …


Soyuz 2.1a/Fregat-M
Go
3 days, 6 hours ago
Meridian-M No.21L
43/3 (43L) - Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

Note: Payload identity uncertain. Meridian is a series of communications satellite for military and civilian use.


Zhuque-2E
TBD
4 days, 8 hours ago
Unknown Payload
Launch Area 96A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Details TBD.


Tianlong-3
TBD
4 days, 8 hours ago
Demo Flight
Tianlong-3 Launch Pad - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

First test launch of Space Pioneer’s Tianlong-3 rocket. Reports indicate this launch may carry a batch of satellites for the SpaceSail/G60/Qianfan LE…


Falcon 9
Go
4 days, 11 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-44
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Go
4 days, 21 hours ago
Transporter 16 (Dedicated SSO Rideshare)
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Dedicated rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers.


Kinetica 2
Go
4 days, 21 hours ago
Qingzhou Spacecraft Demo Flight
Launch Area 140 - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

First test launch and mission of CAS Space’s Kinetica-2 rocket and Qingzhou cargo resupply spacecraft for future cargo transport to the Chinese Tiang…