|  | | | | | | | Principle of the Joint Polar System operations | |
Mission introduction
MetOp-1 will be Europe's first operational polar-orbiting weather satellite. It replaces one of two satellite services operated by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
MetOp will carry a set of 'heritage' instruments provided by the United States and a new generation of European instruments that offer improved remote sensing capabilities to both meteorologists and climatologists. The new instruments will augment the accuracy of:
- temperature and humidity measurements
- wind speed and wind direction measurements, especially over the ocean
- profiles of ozone in the atmosphere
The present plan is to launch three MetOp satellites sequentially to maintain the service for at least 14 years, starting in 2006.
Last update: 21 December 2005 | |
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NOAA
TIROS