Kourou, French Guiana – 13 August 2025 – Europe’s meteorological capabilities have taken a major leap forward with the successful launch of the first MetOp-SG A1 satellite, heralding a new era in weather forecasting and climate monitoring.
Launched aboard an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, the Airbus-built satellite is the first in a series of six spacecraft being developed under the European Space Agency’s leadership for EUMETSAT. Following a smooth ascent and separation, MetOp-SG A1 has established communication and has entered its commissioning phase.
“This is a landmark moment for Europe and for global weather forecasting,” said Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus. “Having designed and built the first generation of MetOp satellites, we now see the first of this powerful new series in orbit.
These satellites will be the sentinels of our planet, helping to deliver more accurate weather predictions that benefit citizens across the globe.”
The MetOp-SG programme comprises two types of satellites – three ‘A’ units and three ‘B’ units – each carrying complementary instruments. The newly launched ‘A’ satellite is equipped with advanced atmospheric sounding and imaging systems, including the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer – Next Generation (IASI-NG), the METimage imager, a Microwave Sounder, a Radio Occultation Sounder, and the Multi-viewing, Multi-channel, Multi-polarisation Imager for aerosol and cloud monitoring. It also carries the Copernicus Sentinel-5 payload to measure trace gases and pollutants with unprecedented precision.
The ‘B’ series satellites will focus on microwave imaging and radar observations. Together, the fleet will provide continuous, enhanced meteorological data well into the mid-2040s, with each spacecraft designed for a nominal operational lifetime of 7.5 years.
This mission exemplifies European collaboration, involving EUMETSAT, ESA, the European Union’s Copernicus programme, CNES, DLR, the UK Space Agency, and an industrial consortium led by Airbus. The A-series satellites are assembled in Toulouse, France, while the B-series are built in Friedrichshafen, Germany.
Ariane 6, developed under ESA leadership with ArianeGroup as prime contractor and Arianespace as launch service provider, delivered MetOp-SG A1 into orbit from the Guiana Space Centre. This marks another successful step for the new European launcher.
SOURCE AND IMAGE: AIRBUS CAPTION: © Airbus. Rosemary Munro, EUMETSAT EPS-SG Programme Scientist and Philippe Chambon, Météo-France researcher
