Replay of the Sentinel-1A liftoff on a Soyuz launcher from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana at 21:02 GMT (23:02 CEST) on 3 April 2014.

Sentinel-1A is the first in a fleet of ESA satellites poised to deliver the wealth of data and imagery that are central to Europe’s Copernicus programme.

Designed as a two-satellite constellation – Sentinel-1A and -1B – the Sentinel-1 mission uses an advanced radar instrument to provide an all-weather, day-and-night supply of imagery of Earth’s surface. The data will benefit numerous services, including the monitoring of Arctic sea-ice extent, the surveillance of the marine environment, the monitoring of land surface for motion risks and mapping to support humanitarian aid and crisis situations.

Watch the full replay of Sentinel-1A launch coverage

Watch the replay of the Sentinel-1A launch event