Facts & figures
| Launches | MetOp-A: 2006 from Kazakhstan on Soyuz |
| MetOp-B: 2012 from Kazakhstan on Soyuz | |
| MetOp-C: 2018 from French Guiana on Soyuz | |
| Dimensions | 6.2 x 3.4 x 3.4 m (under the launcher fairing) |
| 17.6x6.5x5.2 metres (deployed in orbit) | |
| 4083 Kg at launch, including 314 Kg of fuel | |
| Orbit | Polar, Sun-synchronous orbit |
| Altitude | Approximately 817 km |
| Instruments |
Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) measures temperature of atmosphere (NOAA) |
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Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) measures surface wind speed over the ocean (Eumetsat/ESA) |
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Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR/3) images clouds, the ocean and land surfaces (NOAA) |
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Global Navigation Satellite System Receiver for Atmospheric Sounding (GRAS) measures temperature of upper troposphere and stratosphere (Eumetsat/ESA) |
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Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) measures temperature and humidity (CNES) |
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Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) measures humidity (Eumetsat) |
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Space Environment Monitor (SEM) measures charged particles (NOAA) |
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Advanced Data Collection (ARGOS) for location and dissemination of measurements (CNES) |
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| Mission control | Eumetsat, Darmstadt, Germany |
| Launch and early orbit phase via ESA’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt | |
| Data | Downloaded to Eumetsat Polar System stations in Svalbard (Norway) and U.S. McMurdo in Antarctica |
| Data processed at Eumetsat | |
| Applications | Operational meteorology and climate research |
| Prime contractor | Airbus Defence and Space |
