Sentinel-3A: first commissioning results of its optical payload

The Sentinel-3A satellite, the first of a series of four satellites from the European Commission’s Copernicus Programme, was launched on the 16th of February 2016. Sentinel-3 is a multi-instrument mission to measure sea-surface topography, sea- and land-surface temperature, ocean colour and land colour to support ocean forecasting systems, as well as environmental and climate monitoring. The presentation will focus on Sentinel-3 optical instruments, namely the Ocean Land Colour Imager (OLCI) and the Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR). The results of the five-month commissioning phase (concluded in July 2016) are presented. The Level-1 product quality is presented as well as preliminary verification and validation results of the Level-2 ocean products.