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MetOp-SG-A1 travelled onboard the Canop\u00e9e ship. Our teams at the European spaceport in French Guiana have been quite busy making sure both the rocket and the payloads are ready for flight VA264.<\/p>\n
Europe\u2019s first MetOp Second Generation, MetOp-SG-A1, weather satellite \u2013 which hosts Copernicus Sentinel-5 as part of its instrument package \u2013 is set for liftoff on an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe\u2019s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on August 2025.<\/p>\n
MetOp-SG-A1 is the first in a series of three successive pairs of satellites. 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 \u2013 along with new measurement capabilities to expand its scientific reach.<\/p>\n
MetOp-SG-A1, carries 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\u2019s Copernicus Sentinel-5 spectrometer.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The missions will launch on an Ariane 6 with two boosters. Ariane 6 is Europe\u2019s heavy launcher and a key element of ESA\u2019s efforts to ensure autonomous access to space for Europe\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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