SENTINEL 1B

About This Satellite

Sentinel-1B launched on April 25, 2016, joining Sentinel-1A in the Copernicus radar-imaging mission. Its later history matters when interpreting this catalog: the radar mission ended in 2022, and the spacecraft was electrically passivated in September 2024. It is not a source of new radar scenes.

Payload failure did not mean immediate loss of the spacecraft

A power-system anomaly on December 23, 2021 interrupted the mission. Following investigations and unsuccessful recovery efforts, the mission end was announced on August 3, 2022. The remaining spacecraft capability enabled disposal work; losing the science payload and losing all flight control are different failures.

Orbit lowering is not completed reentry

The disposal plan lowered the orbit to accelerate natural decay. Do not read the phrase de-orbiting as confirmation that the spacecraft has already burned up. A confirmed reentry requires separate tracking evidence; a mission-end announcement establishes only the end of service.

Mission reference: ESA: Sentinel-1B disposal and passivation. Editorial review: 2026-09-12.

Why passivation followed orbit lowering

After reaching its disposal altitude in April 2024, the team discharged stored electrical energy and shut down systems. The final signal arrived on September 12, 2024. Passivation reduces risks associated with stored energy; it does not remove the object from space instantly. ESA described subsequent motion as uncontrolled, rather than an ongoing guided return.

Reference: ESA: final signal and passivation sequence.

What remains useful after the radar stops

Historical Sentinel-1B scenes remain evidence of conditions when they were acquired. The mission-end notice is the appropriate reference for the discontinuity in new observations. When comparing a before-and-after radar series, inspect the acquisition dates and spacecraft identifiers instead of expecting Sentinel-1B to supply the later scene.

Reference: Copernicus Sentinel Online: end of the Sentinel-1B mission.

Reading this orbital snapshot

Based on TLE epoch: 2026-09-05. Estimated altitude ranges from 560 km at perigee to 577 km at apogee, a difference of 17 km. The orbital period is about 96.0 minutes. Eccentricity 0.00120 indicates a nearly circular path. In a two-body approximation, perigee speed is 1.00 times apogee speed. These are mean-element estimates, not instantaneous measurements. Distance per orbit uses an ellipse approximation.

Saved build snapshot. If a valid TLE is retrieved, this explanation and the orbit panel update together. Otherwise this dated snapshot is retained.

Ground track is not sensor coverage

An inclination of 98.09 degrees implies approximate geocentric ground-track limits of 81.9 degrees north and south. This is a retrograde orbit, moving against the direction of Earth rotation. The plotted line marks the point beneath the object. It does not represent camera coverage, radio reception, or a guaranteed visible pass.

Accuracy and missing information

The introductory record describes the build snapshot. The orbital snapshot explanation and orbit panel share any successfully retrieved TLE; check the displayed epoch. Reentered objects retain historical data only. Mission history is not rewritten by TLE updates. TLE/SGP4 positions are predictions and can change after maneuvers or updated observations. The 14-day stale-data cutoff is a display safeguard, not an accuracy guarantee. Local passes are geometric predictions, not a visibility forecast. No verified operator or mission status means unknown, not active. Do not use this catalog for collision avoidance or operational flight decisions.

Catalog sources: CelesTrak SATCAT: NORAD 41456 · GCAT: S41456 (source update 2026 Sep 4 2345:57). Supplementary metadata: SatNOGS DB, retrieved 2026-09-05T12:57:25.375Z. Page assembled 2026-09-15. GCAT phase codes describe trajectory phases, not mission health.

Learn more: TLE data · Perigee and apogee · Ground tracks · JOT (Jewawud Live Orbital Map)

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