Sentinel-5

Mission Profile

Sentinel-5P (Sentinel-5 Precursor) is an ESA Copernicus Programme atmospheric monitoring satellite launched on 13 October 2017 aboard a Rokot rocket, designed to provide global daily measurements of atmospheric trace gases and aerosols as a data gap filler between the Envisat/MetOp era and the full Sentinel-5 mission. The satellite's TROPOMI (TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument) spectrometer measures NO2, SO2, ozone, methane, formaldehyde, and aerosols at 3.5 km ground resolution — the highest spatial resolution of any multispectral air quality instrument at the time of launch. Sentinel-5P has revolutionized air quality monitoring, tracking industrial emissions, shipping corridor pollution, and the dramatic changes in NO2 levels during COVID-19 lockdowns with unprecedented detail. Its data is freely accessible and used by air quality agencies worldwide.