Metop-B was launched today, 17 September, from Baikonur in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz rocket lifted off at 18:28 CEST. Carrying a suite of sophisticated instruments, Metop-B will ensure the continuity of the weather and atmospheric monitoring service provided by its predecessor Metop-A, which has been circling the globe from pole to pole, 14 times a day, since 2006.