Finally, since the Envisat orbit change, it has not been
possible to use the classical method to evaluate the
absolute bias in Ajaccio. The regional method is flexible
enough to integrate missions on non-repetitive orbits
(e.g. Cryosat-2) or recently shifted (e.g. Envisat) or
launched, i.e. cases for which no mean sea surface profiles
are available to filter the SSH before computing the bias. It
would consequently be possible to evaluate the bias of the
Envisat mission on its new orbit with this method, as well
as the Cryosat-2 and the HY-2A mission biases, at various
calibration sites. This kind of study would provide an
additional assessment of the method in preparation for
the Sentinel-3 mission.