SpaceX successfully launched Sentinel-6B, the second NASA–European satellite designed to monitor global sea level rise — one of the most important indicators of climate change.

Axar.az, citing CBS, reports that the satellite was carried into orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket from California and will work alongside Sentinel-6A, launched in 2020.

Equipped with high-precision radar, Sentinel-6B can measure sea levels with about one-inch accuracy while also tracking wave height, wind speeds, temperature, and humidity. The mission extends more than three decades of uninterrupted sea-level data, crucial for flood prediction, navigation, coastal planning, and environmental monitoring.

Although the data strongly shows rising sea levels linked to global warming, NASA avoided directly referring to “climate change” in its latest pre-launch materials, aligning with the Trump administration’s shift in messaging.

The Falcon 9 completed a flawless mission, with the first stage returning to its landing pad and the satellite deployed into an 830-mile-high orbit. NASA and European partners have jointly invested around $1 billion in the Sentinel-6 program.