Dec 01, 2025 21:00:00

High-resolution images of the Earth taken by radar from the European Space Agency's Earth observation satellite 'Sentinel-1D' are released

The European Space Agency (ESA) launched the Earth observation satellite Sentinel-1D on November 4, 2025 local time, and has transmitted high-resolution images of the Earth from the edge of Antarctica to Greenland for the first time. The high-resolution images taken by Sentinel-1D are now publicly available through ESA.

ESA - Sentinel-1D delivers first images: from Antarctica to Bremen
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-1/Sentinel-1D_delivers_first_images_from_Antarctica_to_Bremen

ESA is working on the EU-led Earth observation program ' Copernicus ' in collaboration with EU member states and the European Organization for the Development of Meteorological Satellites. As part of the Copernicus program, Sentinel-1D, a satellite that uses radar to capture high-resolution images of land, ice, and oceans regardless of sunlight, was launched on November 4, 2025.

A video summarizing the events leading up to the launch of Sentinel-1D has been released on YouTube.

Copernicus Sentinel-1D journey to space - YouTube


Sentinel-1D being transported by ship.

Sentinel-1D will be launched on the EU-operated

Ariane 6 launch vehicle.

This is the Sentinel-1D itself.

Sentinel-1D was stored at the tip of Ariane 6.

Ariane 6 on the launch pad.

A countdown was held and the gun was fired with great force.

Ariane 6 was launched into space and successfully deployed Sentinel-1D.

Sentinel-1D took its first images over

the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica on November 6th, and then over Bremen, Germany, the following morning. These images were captured and transmitted to a ground station in Italy within just 50 hours of launch.

On November 26, the first high-resolution images taken by Sentinel-1D were released by the ESA. Below is an image of the Antarctic Peninsula jutting out into the Southern Ocean.

This image of

the Tierra del Fuego Islands, located off the southern tip of South America, looks like this. The vivid contrast of the image is created by using multiple types of radar waves.

'We are very pleased with these results from Sentinel-1D,' said Simonetta Celi, Director of

ESA 's Earth Observation Programme. 'These are data that society as a whole will rely on to continue discussing and acting on climate change, and data that we need to apply to our understanding and study of our planet.'

High-resolution images of Earth taken by Sentinel-1D will be available in the future at the following website:

Copernicus Browser
https://browser.dataspace.copernicus.eu/