Profitable launch of Metop-SGA1 to take climate forecasting to new heights

As the primary satellite tv for pc within the EUMETSAT Polar System – Second Generation (EPS-SG) programme, the launch marks a significant step towards delivering extra exact forecasts and earlier warnings to assist defend lives and property from excessive climate. EPS-SG may also help economies throughout Europe, with an anticipated return on funding of at the very least 20 to 1.

Now heading right into a polar orbit round 800 kilometres above the Earth’s floor, Metop-SGA1 will quickly start transmitting a wealth of well timed, high-resolution and high-quality observations from six complementary devices. These information will proceed the Metop sequence of satellites’ position as Europe’s most necessary supply of meteorological observations for forecasts starting from 12 hours to 10 days forward. For instance, Metop-SGA1 observations will assist meteorologists enhance short- and medium-term climate fashions that may save lives by enabling early warnings of storms, heatwaves, and different disasters, and assist farmers to guard crops, grid operators to handle power provide, and pilots and sailors to navigate safely.

Phil Evans, EUMETSAT Director-General, mentioned: “Extreme weather has cost Europe hundreds of billions euros and tens of thousands of lives over the past 40 years – storms like Boris, Daniel and Hans, record heatwaves and fierce wildfires are just the latest reminders. The launch of Metop-SGA1 is a major step forward in giving national weather services in our member states sharper tools to save lives, protect property, and build resilience against the climate crisis. These positive impacts will be felt even beyond that and over the Atlantic, as Metop-SGA1 is Europe’s first contribution to the Joint Polar System with the United States’ National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This milestone reflects years of teamwork across EUMETSAT, the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Union (EU), the French Space Agency (CNES), the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), Airbus, Thales Alenia Space, and many others. This is the beginning of an exciting new chapter as we work to ensure the satellite settles into orbit and starts delivering the vital data it was built to provide.”

At the center of higher forecasts

More than 95% of the info utilized in numerical climate prediction comes from satellites –a share set to develop as Metop Second Generation satellites enter service. Unlike geostationary spacecraft fastened above the equator, polar-orbiting satellites like Metop-SGA1 journey north to south as Earth rotates beneath them, delivering world protection and a wealthy number of observations. Over the following twenty years, three consecutive pairs of Metop-SG satellites will loop the planet 14 instances each day, with superior devices gathering high-resolution information on the ambiance, oceans, ice sheets, and land surfaces.

The Metop-SGA1 satellite tv for pc hosts a complete of six atmospheric sounding and imaging instrument missions. The payload contains the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer – New Generation (IASI-NG), METimage (a visible and infrared imager), the Microwave Sounder (MWS), a Radio Occultation sounder, and the Multi-Viewing, Multi-Channel, Multi-Polarisation Imager (3MI) – the latter being a wholly new instrument designed to reinforce the monitoring of aerosols and cloud properties. Metop-SGA1 additionally carries the European Union’s Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission, which is able to provide detailed information on atmospheric composition and hint gases that have an effect on air high quality, serving to well being authorities to watch air air pollution.

Christoph Kautz, Director for Space Policy, Earth Observation and Satellite Navigation on the European Commission, mentioned: “The successful launch of Copernicus Sentinel-5 is a testimony to our close cooperation with EUMETSAT and is an outstanding achievement that will strengthen Europe’s capacity to monitor pollution and advance climate science. Thanks to the synergies with EUMETSAT’s meteorological mission, it was decided to embark Sentinel-5 on Metop-SGA1. This joint approach not only optimises the overall mission costs but also lowers the environmental impact by minimising the number of launches required.’’

Simonetta Cheli, Director of Earth Observation Programmes at ESA, said: “Metop-SGA1 and Copernicus Sentinel-5 show the power of European collaboration in building long-term missions that help us take the pulse of our planet. This successful launch will ultimately give us an unprecedented view of our atmosphere and climate. The data will allow us to monitor air quality, track greenhouse gases, and observe clouds, trace gases and ozone in more detail than ever. By feeding these insights into models and tools, we can strengthen climate action, improve public health, and deliver benefits for communities across Europe and beyond.”

For additional updates on Metop-SGA1, go to EUMETSAT’s launch hub, which options information, interviews, and insights into the satellite tv for pc’s journey.

Find all related data, biographies of audio system, movies and testimonials on our devoted press page.

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About EUMETSAT

EUMETSAT, Europe’s meteorological satellite tv for pc company, screens the climate and local weather from house. Based in Darmstadt, Germany, EUMETSAT supplies its 30 member states with meteorological imagery and information which are important for holding their communities protected and for the good thing about important 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.