MetOp-SG-A1 in a horizontal position at Airbus

The MetOp Second Generation-A1 satellite has been at Airbus’ facilities in France for around two years where engineers have been carefully integrating its instrument package. These sensors include an infrared sounding interferometer, a radio occultation instrument and a microwave sounder, which use different techniques to measure atmospheric humidity and temperature, along with an instrument that images aerosols and a multispectral visible and infrared imaging radiometer, and the Copernicus Sentinel-5 instrument that provides data on air pollutants.

The photograph shows the satellite in a horizontal position with its instruments facing downwards. The solar panel will be mounted on the front face in few months’ time before the satellite is shipped to the launch site for liftoff in 2025.

The MetOp-Second Generation mission comprises three successive pairs of satellites to deliver data for weather forecasting and climate prediction for over 20 years. Working as a pair in polar orbit, the A-type and the B-type satellites are equipped with complementary suites of instruments to provide high-resolution measurements of temperature, precipitation, clouds, winds, and more.