The European Space Agency repositioned two of its Copernicus Sentinel-1 radar satellites in 2026 to revive a dual-satellite formation technique first used 30 years ago, capturing fresh data on Antarctic glacier movement.
The original formation, known as the tandem mission, paired the ERS-1 and ERS-2 satellites. ESA arranged the two Sentinel-1 spacecraft to mirror that earlier configuration, imaging the same Antarctic region with a one-day repeat interval.
The tandem approach allows scientists to measure glacier motion and locate grounding lines with high precision, according to the European Space Agency. Interferograms of Scar Inlet Ice Shelf, in Antarctica, from 1995 were compared against data gathered in 2026.