Sentinel-2 Night-Time Acquisitions

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission was conceived as a daytime-only imaging mission, focusing on land and coastal waters with high spatial resolution across visible, near-infrared, and shortwave-infrared spectral bands. As part of Sentinel-2 Next Generation mission preparation, ESA is investigating the potential for night-time acquisitions, focusing on specific regions and limited revisit scenarios. To assess this capability, an experimental night imaging campaign was conducted in December 2025 over two orbital cycles. The campaign targeted selected regions identified from user requests and mission analysis, including oil and gas facilities, urban and industrial areas, and maritime zones.