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MetOp-A gets green light for 17 July launch date
 
27 June 2006

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MetOp in UCIF
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MetOp satellite in the Upper Composite Integration Facility (UCIF) before being moved to the Hazardous Processing Facility (HPF), where launch campaign activities will enter next phase.

MetOp-A was launched on 19 October 2006 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, on a Soyuz ST rocket with a Fregat upper stage.

Credits: ESA-K. Buchler
 
 
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MetOp's Payload Module in the UCIF
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MetOp's Payload Module in the Upper Composite Integration Facility (UCIF) ‘clean room’ is waiting for integration and testing with the Service Module.

MetOp-A was launched on 19 October 2006 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, on a Soyuz ST rocket with a Fregat upper stage.

Credits: EUMETSAT 2006
 
 
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Soyuz launcher
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MetOp-A was launched on a Soyuz/ST Fregat rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 19 October 2006. The launcher consists of three stages, all of which use liquid oxygen and kerosene as propellant.

Credits: Starsem
 
 
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It takes about 100 minutes for MetOp to orbit Earth. During the time it takes to complete one orbit, Earth has rotated around 25°. This means observations are made over a different part of Earth in each orbit.

Different instruments have different swathe widths and therefore take different times to observe the entire planet. However, all of the instruments achieve global coverage within five days.

Credits: ESA /AOES Medialab

 
 
Launch diary
MetOp launch statusEurope's first polar-orbiting weather satellite ready for launchIntegration of MetOp upper-composite and third-stage completeSafe arrival at the launch facility for MetOpMetOp encapsulated in fairingMetOp integrated with Fregat upper-stageMetOp launch campaign resumedMetOp to be launched in OctoberLaunch of MetOp-A postponedMetOp ready for launchUpper-composite transferred to launcher integration facilityLast-ever look at MetOpMetOp joins Fregat upper-stageMetOp fuelled and pressurisedMetOp – last phase of testing before launchMetOp satellite shipped to Baikonur on 18 April
In depth
Soyuz launch vehicleBaikonur
Related links
EUMETSATEADS-AstriumStarsemNOAACNES
 
 
 
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