4 November 2025 year Fr. 21:02 (UTC) from the Guyana Space Center, French Guiana, using a launch vehicle «Ariane 62» the spacecraft was launched «Sentinel-1D».
KA «Sentinel-1D» – European radar surveillance satellite. It is the second of two additional satellites and the fourth satellite overall in the cluster Sentinel-1, which is included in the program of the European Union «Copernicus» from observing the Earth.
The satellite is equipped with a SAR radar, operating in the C-band, capable of providing high-resolution images regardless of weather conditions.
«Copernicus» – a program of continuous observations of the state of the Earth, which is managed by the European Commission in cooperation with the states – members of the European Union, by the European Space Agency, by the European Organization of Satellite Meteorology, The European Center for Medium-Term Weather Forecasts.
After full commissioning of the spacecraft «Sentinel-1D» will replace «Sentinel-1A», which was in operation over 11 years, which significantly exceeds the planned service life.
KA «Sentinel-1D» and «Sentinel-1C» will work in tandem, rotating on opposite sides of the globe, at an angle of 180° from each other, to optimize global coverage and data delivery. Both satellites carry a C-band radar along with an automatic identification system (AIS), ago, in addition to obtaining high-resolution images of the Earth's surface, the mission also improves the detection and tracking of vessels over maritime zones. When Sentinel-1D will be fully operational, it will improve AIS surveillance, including more vessel identification data, location and direction of movement, as well as accurate tracking. KA «Sentinel-1D» and «Sentinel-1C» equipped with navigation receivers with "Galileo" GNSS support, as well as other navigation systems, which makes determining the position of the spacecraft in orbit more reliable and accurate.
«Ariane 62» — a new European single-use launch vehicle, developed by the company ArianeGroup on the order of the European Space Agency (THIS). She came to change «Ariane 5» and is part of the family of launch vehicles Ariane. Stated, that the cost of launching a new rocket, compared with Ariane 5, was halved and increased the opportunity for the number of launches per year from six to seven to eleven.
«Ariane 62» consists of two stages, both are equipped with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen engines. An improved version of the Vulcain engine is installed on the first stage, which was already used on Ariane 5, and on the second — the Vinci engine of a new design. Most of the initial thrust during takeoff is provided by solid fuel boosters, installed on the first stage, which are larger versions of the P80, used on the rocket Vega.
The second number after "6" corresponds to the number of side boosters. In this case, two were used.
Mission VA265 from the launch of the spacecraft «Sentinel-1D» became the third commercial flight for Ariane 6 — a new European heavy-lift launch vehicle.
According to the CCS