Matthew Nelson
NASA and SpaceX plan to launch Sentinel-6, an ocean monitoring satellite designed to help researchers explore how climate change affects the Earth's coastlines, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on Nov. 21 from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Prior to the liftoff, the team will replace two Merlin engine units on the rocket's first stage to ensure seamless launch, NASA said Tuesday. The agency seeks to complete replacement activities of associated hardware next week.
The Falcon 9 Merlin engine was evaluated and inspected for possible issues after a launch for a non-NASA mission was aborted.
SpaceX will work with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Launch Services Program to continue preparations for Sentinel-6's launch.
Sentinel-6 will gather sea level measurements at high resolution and utilize radio occultation to gauge the physical properties of the Earth's atmosphere.
Meanwhile, the agency and the company remain on track to launch the Crew-1 mission on Nov. 14.
