India, Dec. 4 -- The U.S. space agency NASA has launched a new environmental-monitoring satellite - part of a multibillion-dollar effort - designed to gauge long-term shifts in sea levels and atmospheric conditions. The launch took place in mid-November, using a rocket from global partner SpaceX.

The satellite Sentinel-6B is equipped with cutting-edge radar capable of measuring the height of the world's oceans by sending radar pulses down to Earth and measuring how long they take to bounce back.

According to NASA, this data will feed into a decades-long dataset essential for city planners, coastal authorities and governments to prepare for rising seas, floods, and climate-driven migration.

Sentinel-6B will also collect atmospheric data...