08 April 2025
08 April 2025
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:
Main image: 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
Credit: EUMETSAT
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.
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, Türkiye and the United Kingdom.
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