9.06.2025
Airbus-built MetOp-SG weather and climate satellite shipped to Kourou
Ready for launch - the first of the Airbus-built MetOp-SG weather and climate monitoring satellites left Toulouse cleanrooms a few days ago and is now en-route for Kourou, French Guiana onboard the “Canopée” transport ship. The MetOp Second Generation-A1 satellite, built for EUMETSAT (European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites), is expected to launch in August 2025 on board an Ariane 6 rocket.
The MetOp-SG programme consists of six satellites: three successive pairs made up of an A-type and a B-type satellite, which carry a host of different but complementary instruments. MetOp-SG A satellites have instruments for atmospheric sounding and imaging, and MetOp-SG B include instruments for microwave imaging and radar observations. They will ensure the continuity of critical MetOp series data into the mid-2040s.
“The MetOp Second Generation satellites will further enhance Europe’s leading position in meteorological analysis from space, and help deliver even more accurate weather forecasting to benefit everyone on Earth. Having designed and manufactured all three of the first generation MetOp satellites we are truly looking forward to the successful launch of the first in this vital series that will watch over our planet,” said Marc Steckling, Head of Earth Observation, Science and Space Exploration at Airbus Defence and Space.
The MetOp-SG A1 payload includes the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer - Next Generation (IASI-NG) which will provide vital data for weather forecasting, pollution monitoring and climate research and was developed in partnership between Airbus and the French space agency CNES. It also carries METimage (a visible and infrared imager) developed in partnership with the German Space Agency (DLR), the Microwave Sounder (built by Airbus in Portsmouth, UK), the Radio Occultation Sounder, and the Multi-Viewing, Multi-Channel, Multi-Polarisation Imager – an entirely new instrument designed to enhance the monitoring of aerosols and cloud properties.
The satellite also carries the Airbus-built Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission – the Ultraviolet, Visible, Near-Infrared and Short-Wave Infrared Sounder – which will deliver detailed measurements of atmospheric composition and trace gases.
MetOp Second Generation satellites have been developed through partnerships between EUMETSAT and the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Union’s Copernicus programme, the French space agency (CNES), the German Space Agency (DLR), and an industrial consortium led by Airbus Defence and Space.
The A series satellites are being built at Airbus in Toulouse, France, while the B series are under construction at Airbus in Friedrichshafen, in southern Germany. The nominal operational lifetime of each MetOp-SG satellite is 7.5 years, ensuring full operational coverage over a 21-year period.
Ariane 6 is a programme developed within the framework of the European Space Agency (ESA). As prime contractor and design authority for the launcher, ArianeGroup is responsible for development and production alongside its industrial partners. Arianespace, the launch service provider, will oversee launch operations from the Guiana Space Centre, including the integration and deployment of the MetOp-SG A1 satellite into orbit.
Quelle: Airbus
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Update: 4.08.2025
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ARIANESPACE TO LAUNCH EUMETSAT'S METOP-SGA1 SATELLITE ON AUGUST 12, 2025, WITH ARIANE 6
- On August 12, 2025, Arianespace will place into orbit EUMETSAT's Metop-SGA1 satellite with Ariane 6.
- The Metop-SGA1 satellite will be the first of the next generation of European polar-orbiting weather satellites. Amongst six instruments hosted on board, it will carry the Copernicus Sentinel-5 atmospheric monitoring mission.
- The VA264 mission will be the second commercial flight for Europe's new heavy-lift launcher Ariane 6
- With this launch, Arianespace supports a crucial environmental mission while also carrying out its commitment of guaranteeing Europe's autonomous access to space.
On August 12, 2025 at 9:37 p.m. local time (00:37 a.m. UTC, 2:37 a.m. CEST, on August 13), Arianespace will launch EUMETSAT's Metop-SGA1 satellite with Ariane 6 from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
The mission, designated VA264, will be the second commercial flight for Ariane 6, the new European heavy-lift launcher. It will place its passenger, the Metop-SGA1 satellite, into Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) at an altitude of around 800 km. Spacecraft separation will occur 1 hour and 4 minutes after lift-off.
The Metop-SGA1 (Second Generation A1) satellite will be the first of the next generation of European polar-orbiting weather satellites. Metop-SGA1 will host a total of six atmospheric sounding and imaging instrument missions that will provide optical, infrared, and microwave observations essential data for weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and a wide range of other services and applications. Amongst its hosts, Metop-SGA1 will carry the new Sentinel-5 atmospheric monitoring mission, part of the European Commission's Copernicus programme.
The satellite will take global observation of weather and climate from a polar orbit to a new level, providing high resolution observations of temperature, precipitation, clouds, winds, sea ice, aerosols, pollution, soil moisture, volcanic dust, and a multitude of other parameters.
The spacecraft was built by Airbus Defence and Space, under a contract with the European Space Agency, and will be operated throughout its lifetime by EUMETSAT, that will also distribute its data to users.
The VA264 launch at a glance:
- 355th launch by Arianespace
- 3rd Ariane 6 launch and 2nd commercial flight
- 15th satellite launched by Arianespace for EUMETSAT
- 151st spacecraft built by Airbus Defence and Space launched by Arianespace
- 21st meteorological satellite launched by Arianespace
Quelle: ESA
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Update: 8.08.2025
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First MetOp-SG satellite sealed within Ariane 6 fairing
As preparations to launch Europe’s first MetOp Second Generation, MetOp-SG-A1, satellite continue on track, the team at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, has bid a heartfelt farewell to this precious satellite as it was sealed from view within the Ariane 6 rocket’s fairing.
This all-new weather satellite, which hosts the first Copernicus Sentinel-5 instrument, is set to take to the skies on 13 August at 02:37 CEST (12 August 21:37 Kourou time).
Since its arrival at the spaceport in mid-June, MetOp-SG-A1 has been undergoing all that it takes to get it ready for liftoff. This includes a huge number of careful checks to ensure all its components are in good working order, the hazardous task of loading the satellite with almost 800 kg of highly volatile fuel, and joining the satellite to the launch adapter.
And now, the satellite has been sealed inside the rocket fairing – a key milestone that marks the end of hands-on work for the team, and always an emotional moment.
ESA’s MetOp-SG Project Manager, Marc Loiselet, said, “I've been working on this mission since 2012 and managed the development and build of this satellite over the past two years, so this moment is especially poignant. None of us will actually see the satellite – the fairing will not be opened until three minutes 30 seconds after liftoff as MetOp-SG is taken into orbit around Earth.”
Access the video
Nick Goody, ESA's MetOp-SG-A1 Launch Campaign Manager, added, “From this point on we monitor the satellite’s environment inside the protective fairing and perform checks to ensure we can configure and monitor the satellite on launch day. The excitement for launch is building day by day now.”
MetOp-SG-A1 is the first in a series of three successive pairs of satellites. It will be followed by its partner satellite, MetOp-SG-B1, next year.
The mission as a whole not only ensures the continued delivery of global observations from polar orbit for weather forecasting and climate analysis for more than 20 years, but also offers enhanced accuracy and resolution compared to the original MetOp mission – along with new measurement capabilities to expand its scientific reach.
Each MetOp-SG pair is made up of an A-type and a B-type satellite that carry a different, but complementary, suite of remarkable instruments. The package totals ten different instruments across both satellites, some of which are based on the sound heritage of the first MetOp series, and some of which are completely new.
The A-type satellites, the first of which is the soon-to-launch MetOp-SG-A1, carry six instruments: a next-generation infrared atmospheric sounder, a microwave sounder, a multispectral imaging radiometer, a novel multiviewing, multichannel, multipolarisation imager, a radio occultation sounder (which is also embarked on the MetOp-SG-B satellites), and the European Commission’s Copernicus Sentinel-5 spectrometer.
Building on the success of the Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite, the new Copernicus Sentinel-5 introduces an advanced imaging spectrometer. The first of these cutting-edge instruments, Sentinel-5A, is integrated into MetOp-SG-A1, and will work in synergy with other onboard instruments.
Sentinel-5 delivers daily global data on key air pollutants, essential climate variables, and stratospheric ozone that protects us from ultraviolet radiation.
ESA’s Sentinel-5 Project Manager, Didier Martin, said, “Encapsulation in the rocket fairing also marks an important milestone for Sentinel-5 of course, and we too bid farewell to this new instrument – and now our focus is very much on the launch next week.”
The MetOp Second Generation mission is thanks to the long-standing cooperation between ESA and Eumetsat, where ESA is responsible for designing and building the satellites, and Eumetsat procures the launch services, develops the ground segment, operates the satellites and provides the data to the worldwide meteorological user community over at least the next 20 years.
The Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission is the result of close cooperation between ESA, the European Commission, Eumetsat, industry, service providers and data users.
Quelle: ESA
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Watch: MetOp-SG-A1 and Sentinel-5 launch
Europe’s first MetOp Second Generation, MetOp-SG-A1, weather satellite – which hosts Copernicus Sentinel-5 as part of its instrument package – is set for liftoff on an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 13 August 2025 at 02:37 CEST (12 August 21:37 Kourou time).
Watch live on ESA Web TV One.
Follow the launch live on Wednesday 13 August 2025 (all times in CEST)
02:10: Streaming from Arianespace starts
02:14: Introductions, interviews and mission status updates
02:37: Liftoff and live commentary
03:02: Break
03:30: Streaming resumes with live commentary
03:46: Acquisition of signal
04:00: Streaming ends
About MetOp Second Generation
Data from the first-generation MetOp satellites have been the most significant factor in enhancing the accuracy of European weather forecasts for periods ranging from 12 hours to 10 days. But now it’s time for the MetOp-Second Generation mission, or MetOp-SG for short, to take over the reigns – not only ensure the continuity of global observations from polar orbit for weather forecasting and climate analysis, but to do it even better.
The mission as a whole not only ensures the continued delivery of global observations from polar orbit for weather forecasting and climate analysis for more than 20 years, but also offers enhanced accuracy and resolution compared to the original MetOp mission – along with new measurement capabilities to expand its scientific reach.
MetOp-SG-A1 is the first in a series of three successive pairs of satellites. It will be followed by its partner satellite, MetOp-SG-B1, next year.
Each MetOp-SG pair is made up of an A-type and a B-type satellite that carry a different, but complementary, suite of remarkable instruments. The package totals ten different instruments across both satellites, some of which are based on the sound heritage of the first MetOp series, and some of which are completely new.
The A-type satellites, the first of which is the soon-to-launch MetOp-SG-A1, carry six instruments: a next-generation infrared atmospheric sounder, a microwave sounder, a multispectral imaging radiometer, a novel multiviewing, multichannel, multipolarisation imager, a radio occultation sounder (which is also embarked on the MetOp-SG-B satellites), and the European Commission’s Copernicus Sentinel-5 spectrometer.
The MetOp Second Generation mission is thanks to the long-standing cooperation between ESA and Eumetsat, where ESA is responsible for designing and building the satellites, and Eumetsat procures the launch service, develops the ground segment, operates the satellites and provides the data to the worldwide meteorological user community.
About Copernicus Sentinel-5
Building on the success of the Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite, the new Copernicus Sentinel-5 introduces an advanced imaging spectrometer. The first of these cutting-edge instruments, Sentinel-5A, is integrated into MetOp-SG-A1, and will work in synergy with other onboard instruments.
This cutting-edge instrument delivers important data on the composition of the atmosphere. It measures the distribution of atmospheric trace gases such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, formaldehyde, glyoxal, carbon monoxide and methane, as well as aerosols. These components not only affect the air we breathe, but also our climate.
Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission marks a step change in monitoring and forecasting global air quality. It delivers daily global data on atmospheric gases and aerosols. Its observations include key air pollutants, essential climate variables, and stratospheric ozone that protects us from ultraviolet radiation.
Data from the Sentinel-5 will improve our understanding of air pollution, ozone, UV radiation and climate change, and support services that inform us about related risks, including forecasts and health alerts. This is crucial because outdoor air pollution contributes to more than four million premature deaths worldwide each year, while over-exposure to UV radiation can also cause skin cancer.
About Ariane 6
Ariane 6 is Europe’s heavy launcher and a key element of ESA’s efforts to ensure autonomous access to space for Europe’s citizens. Its modular and versatile design allows it to launch all missions from low-Earth orbit into deep space. Standing over 60 metres tall, Ariane 6 can weigh almost 900 tonnes when launched with a full payload.
Quelle: ESA
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Update: 13.08.2025
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The European Space Agency’s (ESA) second Ariane 62 launch of 2025 is scheduled to liftoff from Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 6 (ELA-4) at the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana on Wednesday, Aug. 13, at 00:37 UTC.
The payload for this mission will be the MetOp-SG-A1 satellite, operated by the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), the European operational satellite agency responsible for monitoring weather, climate, and the environment from space.
The 4,040 kg mass satellite is part of the EUMETSAT Polar System – Second Generation (EPS-SG) programme. MetOp-SG-A1 will observe weather and climate from a polar orbit, providing high-resolution observations of temperature, precipitation, clouds, winds, sea ice, aerosols, pollution, soil moisture, volcanic dust, and a multitude of other parameters.
The MetOp-SG-A1 satellite is the first in a series of three successive pairs of satellites. The partner for this satellite, MetOp-SG-1B, will launch next year and will carry a complementary set of instruments.
In addition to its core instruments scanning the Earth from low Earth orbit (LEO), the MetOp-SG-A1 satellite will also carry the Sentinel-5 payload, an instrument part of Copernicus – the EU Earth observation programme. The Sentinel-5 mission is a high-resolution spectrometer system operating in the ultraviolet to shortwave infrared range. This system enables the monitoring of nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulphur dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, and other trace gases, – data supporting global air quality and pollution monitoring and climate applications.
The Ariane 6 flying this mission is of the ‘62’ variant, meaning two strap-on solid rocket boosters will be attached to the 5.4 m diameter core stage. (The ‘64’ variant will fly with four such boosters). Ariane 6 utilizes liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, which are burned through the first stage Vulcain 2.1 engine and the second stage Vinci engine. The 62 m tall rocket flew for the first time on July 9, 2024.
Quelle: NSF
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Update: 13.08.2025
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Flight VA264 | Metop-SGA1 | Ariane 6 I Arianespace
On August 12, 2025 at 9:37 p.m. local time in Kourou, French Guiana (00:37 a.m. UTC, 2:37 a.m. CEST, on August 13), Ariane 6 lifted off from Europe's Spaceport carrying EUMETSAT's Metop-SGA1 satellite. With this second commercial flight, Ariane 6, the new European heavy-lift launcher operated by Arianespace, successfully placed Metop-SGA1 into Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) at an altitude of 800 km. Spacecraft separation occurred 1 hour and 4 minutes after lift-off. A few minutes after separation, EUMETSAT successfully acquired signals from the satellite. David Cavaillolès, CEO of Arianespace, declared: “Tonight, Arianespace has successfully launched EUMETSAT's Metop-SGA1 satellite, on board Ariane 6. The first of the next generation of European polar-orbiting weather satellites, Metop-SGA1 notably hosts the Copernicus programme Sentinel-5 atmospheric monitoring mission. This success pinpoints our dedication to ensuring Europe's autonomous and reliable access to space while also supporting an ambitious environmental mission that will provide cutting-edge data for weather and climate monitoring. Ariane 6's second commercial launch marks a significant milestone in our journey. We extend our gratitude to EUMETSAT and to all our partners across Europe for their trust and collaboration, driving Arianespace to deliver the utmost excellence.” "The success of this second commercial launch confirms the performance, reliability, and precision of Ariane 6. Once again, the new European heavy-lift launcher meets Europe's needs, ensuring sovereign access to space," said Martin Sion, CEO of ArianeGroup. "The next rockets are well advanced in production thanks to the teams to whom I express my gratitude for their unwavering commitment. This demonstrates the ramp up taking place in ArianeGroup's plants and those of our industrial partners." Phil Evans, Director-General of EUMETSAT, commented: “Extreme weather has cost Europe hundreds of billions of euros and tens of thousands of lives over the past 40 years—storms like Boris, Daniel and Hans, record heatwaves and fierce wildfires are just the latest reminders. The launch of Metop-SGA1 is a major step forward in giving national weather services in our member states sharper tools to save lives, protect property, and build resilience against the climate crisis. These positive impacts will be felt even beyond that and over the Atlantic, as Metop-SGA1 is Europe's first contribution to the Joint Polar System with NOAA. This milestone reflects years of teamwork across EUMETSAT, ESA, the EU, CNES, DLR, Airbus, Thales Alenia Space, and many others. This is the beginning of an exciting new chapter as we work to ensure the satellite settles into orbit and starts delivering the vital data it was built to provide.” For this second commercial mission, the Ariane 6 vehicle was in the two-booster Ariane 62 configuration with a short fairing. Ariane 6 is a program developed within the framework of the European Space Agency (ESA). As prime contractor and design authority for the launcher, ArianeGroup is responsible for development and production alongside its industrial partners. Ariane 6 is marketed and operated by Arianespace. The Metop-SGA1 (Second Generation A1) satellite will be the first of the next generation of European polar-orbiting weather satellites. Metop-SGA1 will host a total of six atmospheric sounding and imaging instrument missions that will provide optical, infrared, and microwave observations essential data for weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and a wide range of other services and applications. Amongst its hosts, Metop-SGA1 will carry the new Sentinel-5 atmospheric monitoring mission, part of the European Commission's Copernicus programme. The spacecraft was built by Airbus Defence and Space, under a contract with the European Space Agency, and will be operated throughout its lifetime by EUMETSAT, that will also distribute its data to users.
Quelle: arianespace