ESApod MetOp-A launch MetOp-A, Europe's first polar-orbiting satellite and a mission dedicated to improving weather forecasts and monitoring Earth's climate, was launched on 19 October 2006 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Vodcast Play now | Download   With an array of sophisticated instrumentation, MetOp-A promises to provide data of unprecedented accuracy and resolution on a host of different variables such as temperature and humidity, ocean surface wind speed and direction and concentrations of ozone and other trace gases – thus marking a major advance in global weather forecasting and climate monitoring capabilities.       Last update: 21 November 2006  •  MetOp (http://www.esa.int/esaLP/LPmetop.html)  •  Story in pictures (http://www.esa.int/esaLP/SEMAEHO7BTE_LPmetop_0.html) Special features  •  Launch highlights (http://www.esa.int/esaLP/SEM5KPOFHTE_LPmetop_0.html) Related articles  •  Europe’s new MetOp weather satellite reaches polar orbit (http://www.esa.int/esaLP/SEMNKWAUQPE_index_0.html)  •  MetOp: ESA controllers ready for critical launch and early orbit phase (http://www.esa.int/esaLP/SEMPAUN7BTE_LPmetop_0.html)  •  New launch date for Europe’s first polar-orbiting weather satellite (http://www.esa.int/esaLP/SEM8AW7LURE_index_0.html) In depth  •  Operations & Situational Awareness (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Operations/index.html)  •  Soyuz launch vehicle (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESA_Permanent_Mission_in_Russia/SEMAM1X4QWD_0.html)  •  Baikonur (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESA_Permanent_Mission_in_Russia/SEMRSA1XDYD_0.html) Related links  •  EUMETSAT (http://www.eumetsat.int)  •  EADS-Astrium (http://www.space.eads.net/)  •  Starsem (http://www.starsem.com)  •  NOAA (http://www.noaa.gov)  •  CNES (http://www.cnes.fr/html/_455_.php)  •  (http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=117835479 &s=143441)  •  (http://podcasts.yahoo.com/series?s=4bd3e42bd1a996c47ff89731a8832060)  •  ESApod (http://feeds.feedburner.com/ESApod)  •  (http://www.learnoutloud.com/Podcast-Directory/Science/Astronomy/ESA-Podcast/16859)  •  (http://www.podcast.net/show/45773)  •  (http://www.podnova.com/index_podnova_station.srf?url=http://esamultimedia.esa.int/multimedia/esc/esapod.xml)  •  (http://odeo.com/channel/105568/view) Required software  •   Windows Media Player (http://www.microsoft.com)  •   QuickTime (http://www.apple.com)