Sentinel-1 Satellite Evolution

The paper provides the overview of the evolution of the Copernicus Sentinel-l Space Segment and the Spacecraft development status. Following the successful launch and in-orbit Commissioning of Sentinel-1A in 2014 and Sentinel-1B in 2016, ESA is currently developing the Sentinel-1C and −1D models. The paper addresses the improvements in system robustness and performance. In addition, it discusses the main characteristics of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) instrument to augment the SAR payload data for ship marine traffic applications and the Optical Communication Payload (OCP) for payload data downlink via inter-satellite laser-link with the European Data Relay System (EDRS). Finally, it will address the novel solutions to make Sentinel-lC and Sentinel-lD design fully compliant with the latest Space Debris code-of-conduct and the required casualty risks at re-entry.