Sail away! The world's latest Earth-observing satellite launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 12:17 p.m. ET on November 21. As a historic U.S.-European partnership, the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich spacecraft will begin a five-and-a-half-year assignment of #SeeingTheSeas like never before. The mission? To collect the most accurate data yet on global sea level and how our ocean is rising in response to climate change; and gather precise data of atmospheric temperature and humidity that will help improve weather forecasts and climate models. The spacecraft is named after the late Dr. Michael Freilich, the former director of NASA's Earth Science Division and a tireless advocate for advancing satellite measurements of the ocean. We celebrate and honor his legacy with this launch & mission. Credit: NASA TV #Ocean #NASA #Satellite #Views #RocketLaunch