EPS-SG includes two meteorological satellites hosting complementary instruments – Metop-SGA and Metop-SGB. Metop Second Generation satellites will continue the long legacy of Metop series datasets into the 2040s.
Media representatives were given a final opportunity today to see EUMETSAT’s Metop Second Generation A1 (Metop-SGA1) satellite up close during a clean room visit at Airbus Defence and Space in Toulouse, France.
Scheduled for launch in August aboard the Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, Metop-SGA1 will be the first satellite to enter orbit under the EUMETSAT Polar System – Second Generation (EPS-SG) programme. It carries a suite of evolved and entirely new instruments designed to deliver essential data for weather forecasting, storm prediction, climate monitoring, and a wide range of other services and applications.
“Data from Metop Second Generation satellites will enable specialists in EUMETSAT Member States to improve forecasts, strengthen warnings, and gain deeper insight into climate change, at a time when timely, reliable information is more essential than ever,” said Paul Counet, Head of Strategy, Communication and International Relations at EUMETSAT. “The EPS-SG programme reflects a tremendous collaborative effort between EUMETSAT, European agencies, industry, and the scientific community, and we’re very excited to see Metop-SGA1 so close to launch.”
Metop Second Generation satellites have been developed through partnerships between EUMETSAT and the European Space Agency, 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 payload on Metop-SGA1 includes the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer – New Generation, METimage (a visual and infrared imager), the Microwave Sounder, the Radio Occultation Sounder, and the Multi-Viewing, Multi-Channel, Multi-Polarisation Imager – the latter being an entirely new instrument designed to enhance the monitoring of aerosols and cloud properties.
The satellite also carries the 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 in the atmosphere.
The EPS-SG programme will consist of three pairs of satellites: Metop-SGA hosting instruments for atmospheric sounding and imaging, and Metop-SGB hosting instruments for microwave imaging and radar observations. They will ensure the continuity of critical Metop series data into the mid-2040s.
The EPS-SG system is part of the European-United States’ Joint Polar System. Under this arrangement, data from EUMETSAT’s and the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s polar-orbiting satellites are shared, bringing benefits to weather forecasting and climate monitoring for both.
“This new generation of Metop polar-orbiting satellites will provide higher-quality data to more accurately capture the state of the atmosphere, making our forecast models more robust and reliable,” said Dr Philippe Chambon, Observation Team Manager in the Numerical Weather Prediction Research Division at Météo-France. “That means better support for people, businesses, and public services making weather-dependent decisions every day. It’s going to be a massive step forward.”
Follow the progress of Metop-SGA1’s launch campaign on EUMETSAT’s launch hub, which will be updated regularly with news, photos, and behind-the-scenes insights.
Animations of the Metop Second Generation satellites can be seen here.
About EUMETSAT
EUMETSAT, Europe’s meteorological satellite agency, monitors the weather and climate from space. Based in Darmstadt, Germany, EUMETSAT provides its 30 member states with meteorological imagery and data that are essential for keeping their communities safe and for the benefit of critical sectors of their economies.
Four Meteosat satellites in geostationary orbit deliver continuous observations of fast developing severe weather events over Europe, Africa and the Indian Ocean. Two polar-orbiting Metop satellites provide data of pivotal importance for forecasts up to 10 days ahead. The first of the next-generations satellites in these systems was launched in 2022 with subsequent launches set for 2025 and 2026.
EUMETSAT’s archive of satellite observations over more than 40 years provides climate scientists around the world with long-term, homogenous data necessary for monitoring climate change.
EUMETSAT is a key partner in the European Union’s Copernicus Earth observation programme. It currently operates the Copernicus Sentinel-3 and -6 ocean-monitoring missions and will operate the upcoming Sentinel-4 and Sentinel-5 missions, as well as the CO2M mission, to monitor carbon dioxide emissions. Data from these Sentinels, and EUMETSAT’s own missions, are provided to the Copernicus climate, atmosphere monitoring and marine environment services.
Along with European Space Agency and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, EUMETSAT is a partner in the EU’s DestinE initiative, creating digital twins of the entire Earth system.
Together with NASA, NOAA, the EU, ESA and with support from the French Space Agency, CNES, EUMETSAT is a partner in the Jason and Copernicus Sentinel-6 ocean-monitoring missions.
EUMETSAT cooperates with agencies around the world, securing additional satellite data of benefit to weather forecasting and climate monitoring.
EUMETSAT’s 30 member states are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Media Relations EUMETSAT
Tel: +49 6151 807 7320
Email: press@eumetsat.int
www.eumetsat.int