The first of the new generation of MetOp satellites, MetOp-SG-A1, together with the instrument for the Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission in their transport container being loaded onto the Canopée ship in Narbonne, France, for their voyage to Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana for launch.
The MetOp-Second Generation (MetOp-SG) mission is poised to revolutionise weather forecasting and will ensure the continued delivery of vital global observations. It will provide data for unprecedented weather forecasting accuracy and climate monitoring. The MetOp-SG mission is made up of six satellites that will operate two at a time. Each of the three pairs consists of an A-type and B-type satellite, which carry complementary state-of-the art instruments.
Carried on board MetOp-SG’s A-type satellites, the Copernicus Sentinel-5 spectrometer is an advanced instrument designed to deliver critical data on air pollutants, ozone, and climate-related gases to support air-quality monitoring.
MetOp-SG-A1 and Sentinel-5 will be launched in August on the next Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.