OHB Awarded €554 Million Contract for Next-Gen Sentinel-3 Satellite

German satellite manufacturer OHB has secured a €554 million contract from the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop the first Sentinel-3 Next Generation Topography (NGT) satellite for the European Union’s Copernicus programme.

In a 4 November announcement, OHB revealed that it would lead the European industrial consortium developing the first next-generation Sentinel-3 satellite, with the contract also including an option for the development and manufacture of a second spacecraft.

The Sentinel-3 NGT satellites will form one half of the system that will replace the existing constellation of Sentinel-3 satellites. The current generation of satellites carries a combination of instruments to monitor ocean and ice surface topography, ocean and land colour, and surface temperatures.

For the next generation of Sentinel-3 satellites, these capabilities will be divided between two dedicated missions. Sentinel-3 Next Generation Optical (NGO) will carry instruments designed to observe Earth’s surface at visible and infrared wavelengths and measure surface temperatures, while Sentinel-3 NGT will focus on radar-altimetry measurements.

“Sentinel-3 Next Generation Topography combines continuity with a significant technological leap forward,” said OHB System project manager Ann-Theres Schulz in the company’s 4 November announcement. “The mission will substantially improve the accuracy of height measurements, cover larger areas and enable faster revisit rates.”

OHB secured contracts to conduct preliminary design studies for both Sentinel-3 NGT in 2022 and NGO in 2024. ESA also awarded parallel study contracts to Airbus Defence and Space for NGT and Thales Alenia Space for NGO.

With the award of the €554 million contract, OHB appears to have been selected over Airbus to move forward with the detailed design, development, manufacture, and qualification of the first Sentinel-3 NGT satellite. A corresponding contract for Sentinel-3 NGO has yet to be announced.

According to a July 2026 overview published by the International Laser Ranging Service, the Sentinel-3 NGT satellites were tentatively scheduled for launch in 2033 and 2035. OHB did not provide an updated launch schedule in its announcement.

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