MetOp-SG-A1 and Sentinel-5 team at Europe’s Spaceport

The first MetOp Second Generation A-type satellite (MetOp-SG-A1), which is also equipped with the Copernicus Sentinel-5 instrument, pictured in the cleanroom at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou alongside the proud team that are preparing the satellite for liftoff.

The first MetOp Second Generation A-type satellite (MetOp-SG-A1), which also carries the Copernicus Sentine-5 instrument, in the cleanroom at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou with a proud team. With launch for August on an Ariane 6 rocket, the satellite is currently being prepared for liftoff.

The MetOp-SG 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.

The A-type satellites also carry the Copernicus Sentinel-5 spectrometer for the European Commission. This new instrument measure the distribution of atmospheric trace gases such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, formaldehyde, glyoxal, carbon monoxide, and methane, as well as aerosols and ultraviolet radiation.