Earth observation satellite Sentinel-6A is currently getting an earful. Airbus space engineers are ‘bombarding’ the latest satellite for the European environment and security programme ‘Copernicus’ with sound in a dedicated chamber at the Space Test Centre of Industrieanlagen-Betriebsgesellschaft mbH (IABG) in Ottobrunn, near Munich. The acoustic noise test simulates the sound impact to which the satellite will be exposed during rocket launch.
The chamber, which covers an area of some 100 m² and is fitted with huge loudspeakers, is hermetically sealed during tests. These tests consist of four 60-second blasts of sound that are fired at the satellite with increasing intensity. At its peak, Sentinel-6A will be hit by 140 decibels (dB). By comparison, noise levels at around 50 dB are pleasant for us to hear, at some 100 dB they start to become uncomfortable, while around 120 dB is where they become painful. Pneumatic drills or chainsaws produce around 110 dB. An increase of 10 dB represents a doubling of perceived loudness.
‘Copernicus Sentinel-6’ is an ocean altimetry mission to provide ocean topography measurements over the next decade. Sentinel-6 carries a radar altimeter to provide high precision and timely observations of sea surface height on a global scale. This information is essential for the continued monitoring of changes in sea levels, a key indicator of climate change. It is also essential for oceanography. Mapping up to 95% of Earth’s ice-free ocean every 10 days, Sentinel-6 offers vital information on ocean currents, wind speed and wave height for maritime safety.
The two Sentinel-6 satellites for the European Copernicus Programme for environment and security have been developed under Airbus’ industrial leadership. While it is one of the European Union’s family of Copernicus satellite missions, Sentinel-6 is also being brought about thanks to international cooperation between ESA, NASA, NOAA and EUMETSAT.
From November 2020, Sentinel-6A will be the first of two Sentinel-6 satellites to continue collecting satellite-based measurements of the oceans’ surfaces, a task that began in 1992. Sentinel-6B is then expected to follow in 2025. Sentinel-6 builds on heritage from the Jason series of ocean topography satellites and from ESA’s missions CryoSat-2 and Sentinel-2, as well as GRACE, which were manufactured under the industrial leadership of Airbus.
Brian Yutko, CEO of Boeing-owned Wisk Aero autonomous eVTOL vehicle, expects the aircraft to begin carrying passengers "later in the…
Lockheed Martin and the Slovak Republic have announced the arrival of the first F-16 Block 70 jets in Slovakia, signalling…
HADID International Services and the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) have announced a new strategic partnership through the signing of…
Advanced Air Mobility company Supernal's full-scale electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle product concept, S-A2, is on display at…
Boeing and Antonov Company have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore collaborative opportunities in defence-related projects. “We’re pleased to…
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has appointed Dror Bar as the new Vice President and CEO of its subsidiary ELTA, following…
The Israeli Ministry of Defense's Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) recently hosted a Demo Day to highlight the…
Drukair - Royal Bhutan Airlines, the national carrier of Bhutan, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus to…
Boeing and National Airlines have announced the carrier's commitment to its first order of four 777 Freighters. As the longest-range…
Boeing and Lufthansa Technik have announced an agreement designating Lufthansa Technik as the first Boeing-Licensed Service Center (BLSC) for cabin…
Boeing and Japan Airlines (JAL) have announced a new agreement for up to 20 additional 787 Dreamliners. This deal includes…
The first day of the year's biggest airshow started on a bright note for Embraer with The Netherlands and Austria…
Boeing and Luxair have announced that the European regional carrier is further expanding its fleet with a new order for…
Boeing and Korean Air have announced the airline's intention to acquire up to 50 of Boeing's fuel-efficient widebody planes, including…
ECS Group has reinforced its dedication to employee development with the Discovery internal training platform. This initiative is designed to…
Airbus and the Airports Council International (ACI) World have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at supporting the aviation industry's efforts…
ITP Aero has become the first aeroengine design and manufacturing company to receive Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from the European…
Switzerland-based JEKTA has announced its selection of ZeroAvia’s fuel cell power generation system (PGS) to demonstrate a fuel cell variant…
The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has awarded Boeing a USD 16.8 million contract to enhance the software and data systems…
Advanced air mobility (AAM) company Lilium, which is riding the momentum generated by the Saudia Group signing a binding sales…
Eve Air Mobility (Eve) has selected Diehl Aviation as the interior designer and producer, while ASE will supply the power…
With over 50 years of experience in developing specialty military-grade air cushion vehicles, Textron Systems is an industry leader in…
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, and Batik Air Malaysia have expanded their collaboration by launching a codeshare…
The All Nippon Airways Group (ANA Group) has announced the expansion of its De Havilland fleet with the acquisition of…
Korean Air has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner, with its inaugural flight set to depart from Seoul…
Just weeks after successfully flying a first-of-its-kind hydrogen-electric air taxi demonstrator 523 miles, Joby Aviation is at the year's biggest…
At the show, Altair is highlighting innovations in engineering simulation, artificial intelligence (AI), and high-performance computing (HPC) that are transforming…
New Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stephanie Pope has spent her first four months in the role doing a lot of…
On the eve of the 45th Farnborough Airshow, urban air mobility (UAM) company Eve Air Mobility unveiled the aircraft being…
With Boeing choosing not to bring any of its signature jets to the Show, Airbus has the battle for the…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2024 GBP all rights reserved.