COPERNICUS S3NG-T MISSION ADVISORY GROUP
DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION
24 NOVEMBER 2025 – 23 JANUARY 2026 – 12:00 hrs noon (CET)
Submit your application for the Copernicus S3NG-T Mission here – [OPEN]
In order to submit your application, you need to be a registered user. To register or to log in to the site, please go to the Menu in the top left corner. Note that the last uploaded version of your application file (short CV and accompanying statement) to this Group membership application will replace any previously uploaded file on this system, and will be used by ESA for membership evaluation.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF CALL RESULTS
We shall evaluate all applications in Q1 2026.
COPERNICUS S3NG-T PHASE B2/C MISSION OVERVIEW
This call is opened to renew the Mission Advisory Group (MAG) for the Phase B2/C of the Sentinel-3 Next Generation Topography (S3NG-T) Mission. By participating, MAG members will have the opportunity to actively contribute to the preparation of S3NG-T.
Members of this group are expected to play an active role by providing expert advice on activities that support the design consolidation and development of the mission, and to participate actively in MAG activities. MAG members will also assist ESA in consolidating and maintaining the Mission Requirements Document (MRD).
In addition, the MAG will advise on the support activities tailored to the preparation the Mission. These activities include:
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- Analysing and verifying the traceability of user needs.
- Supporting the definition and performance estimation studies necessary for consolidating mission requirements or elements of the mission architecture.
- Definition of campaigns to support the development of mission concepts, verify observation and performance requirements, evaluate simulated data products, and assess retrieval methods.
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The MAG will serve throughout the duration of Phase B2/C, that will start with the kick-off of the Phase B2 activities, tentatively Q2 2026, and will end with the system Critical Design Review (CDR), tentatively Q3 2030, after which point membership will be reviewed.
The Sentinel-3 Next Generation Topography Mission
The Sentinel-3 Next Generation Topography (S3NG-T) mission is dedicated to guaranteeing baseline continuity of existing Copernicus Sentinel-3 nadir-altimeter measurements in the 2035-2050 timeframe while enhancing measurement capability and performance. Since the current Sentinel-3 constellation of two nadir altimeters largely under samples the ocean, a primary area of improvement is to enhance the altimeter sampling at global scales to better monitor and forecast the ocean at finer scale, and to improve monitoring of the coastal zone.
For S3NG-T a coordinated constellation of spacecraft is required to provide enhanced continuity to the Sentinel-3 Mission to meet the enhanced baseline sampling goal of ≤5 days revisit at scales ≤50 km, according to the requirements provided by the Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS). In addition, inland water river and lake heights that are now elevated to Primary Mission Objectives for S3NG-T. Considering the User needs expressed by the European Commission and its entrusted entities, the primary objectives of the S3NG-T mission, as specified in the MRD, are to:
- Guarantee continuity of Sentinel-3 topography measurements for the 2030-2050 time frame with performance at least equivalent to Sentinel-3 in-flight performance (‘baseline mission’).
- Respond to evolving user requirements and improve sampling, coverage and revisit of the Copernicus Next Generation Topography Constellation (S3NG-T and Sentinel-6NG) to ≤50 km and ≤5 days (CMEMS, 2017) in support of Copernicus User Needs.
- Enhance sampling coverage, revisit and performance for Hydrology Water Surface Elevation measurements in support of Copernicus Services.
- Respond to evolving user requirements and enhance topography Level-2 product measurement performance.
The secondary objectives of the S3NG-T mission are to:
- Provide directional wave spectrum products that address evolving Copernicus user needs.
- Provide new products that address evolving Copernicus user needs.
To achieve full continuity of Sentinel-3 topography measurements, S3NG-T will need to deliver Level 2 geophysical products over the open ocean, the coastal zone, inland waters, sea ice and land ice, hydrology being a new primary mission objective to respond to EC and user needs. These products will need to be delivered at three data latencies: Near Real Time (NRT), within 3 hours from acquisition, with an enhanced goal of 1 hour from acquisition; Slow-Time Critical (STC) within 36 hours of acquisition within an enhanced goal of 24 hours; and Non-Time Critical (NTC), within 30 days of acquisition, with an enhanced goal of 20 days.
The mission is being designed as two large spacecraft carrying a next generation nadir-looking synthetic aperture radar (SAR) altimeter, that will provide the baseline continuity with the current Sentinel-3 constellation, and an across-track wide swath interferometer, that will provide the required enhanced sampling capabilities.
USEFUL RESOURCES
