Preparing MetOp-SG-A1 and Sentinel-5 for liftoff

Following the successful completion of the fuelling, the teams at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou have started the combined operations to prepare the MetOp-SG-A1 satellite for liftoff on an Ariane 6 rocket.

MetOp-SG-A1, which is also equipped with the Copernicus Sentinel-5 instrument, has entered the ‘combined operations’ phase of the launch campaign, where the satellite will be installed on its rocket.

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.