COPERNICUS S6NG MISSION ADVISORY GROUP
DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION
30 OCTOBER 2026 – 12:00 hrs noon (CET)
Submit your application for the Copernicus Sentinel-6 Next Generation (S6NG) Mission here – [OPEN]
We shall evaluate all applications in Q4 2026.
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.
SENTINEL-6 NEXT GENERATION PHASE A/B1 MAG OVERVIEW
This call is opened to constitute the Mission Advisory Group (MAG) for the Phase A/B1 of the Sentinel-6 Next Generation (S6NG) Mission. By participating, MAG members will have the opportunity to actively contribute to the preparation of S6NG.
Members of this group, selected on the basis of their relevant scientific and technical expertise, 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, which will typically meet once per quarter.
The MAG members will also assist ESA in consolidating and maintaining the Mission Requirements Document (MRD).
In addition to their advisory role, the MAG will help identify and initiate support activities tailored to the preparation the Mission. These activities include:
- Analysing and verifying the traceability of user needs provided by stakeholders.
- Supporting the definition and performance estimation studies necessary for consolidating mission requirements or elements of the mission architecture. This may include the development and use of end-to-end system performance scientific simulators to optimize observation requirements in alignment with user needs. Consideration will also be given to the definition of high-level products and their related processing.
- Advise on the definition of campaigns to support the development of mission concepts, verify observation and performance requirements, evaluate simulated data products, and assess retrieval methods.
The MAG will serve throughout the duration of Phase A/B1, that will start with the kick-off of the Phase A activities, in Q4 2026, and will end with the Intermediate System Requirements Review, tentatively Q3 2028, after which point membership will be reviewed.
The Sentinel-6 Next Generation Mission
The aim of the Sentinel-6 Next Generation (S6NG) mission is to ensure enhanced continuity of the satellite altimetry geodetic data record for sea surface height, global and regional mean sea level, waves and wind speed, created through the reference altimeter missions, starting from TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, Jason-2, Jason-3, and now the current Copernicus Sentinel-6 mission, and guarantee the Sentinel-6 reference altimetry measurements for the 2033-2050s time frame, while providing near-real-time measurements to operational users of sea surface height, significant wave height, and wind speed.
With stringent requirements on measurement stability, the Sentinel-6 mission ensures the provision of reference ocean altimeter observations in support of key Copernicus Services and the wider global user community. It serves as the primary reference and calibration mission to which all other satellite altimetry missions are tied.
For the S6NG mission, providing enhanced continuity in its role as the reference altimeter mission means improving the current constellation measurement performance for operational products, and improving the measurement stability of global and regional mean sea level to comply with the evolving user needs for climate research.
In addition to complying with its primary mission objectives, Sentinel-6 currently contributes to the monitoring of lake water level, lake water extent and river water level Essential Variables (EV) identified by the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and to the Lake Water Level/Extent Essential Climate Variables (ECV) defined by GCOS. S6NG will therefore maintain the observation capability over inland waters as a primary objective of the mission, as this is also essential for the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS), the Emergency Management Service (CEMS) and the Climate Change Service (C3S).
Considering the User needs expressed by the European Commission the primary objectives of the S6NG mission are to:
- Guarantee continuity of Sentinel-6 open ocean and inland waters topography measurements for the 2033–2050-time frame with performance at least equivalent to Sentinel-6 in-flight performance.
- Respond to evolving user requirements and improve sampling, coverage and revisit of the Copernicus Next Generation Topography Constellation reference mission in support of Copernicus User Needs.
Respond to evolving user requirements and enhance topography Level-2 product measurement performance, particularly in terms of global and regional mean sea level to address climate challenges as specified in GCOS requirements.
USEFUL RESOURCES
