MetOp-SG-A1 travelled onboard the Canopée ship. Our teams at the European spaceport in French Guiana have been quite busy making sure both the rocket and the payloads are ready for flight VA264.

Europe’s first MetOp Second Generation, MetOp-SG-A1, weather satellite – which hosts Copernicus Sentinel-5 as part of its instrument package – is set for liftoff on an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on August 2025.

MetOp-SG-A1 is the first in a series of three successive pairs of satellites. The mission as a whole not only ensures the continued delivery of global observations from polar orbit for weather forecasting and climate analysis for more than 20 years, but also offers enhanced accuracy and resolution compared to the original MetOp mission – along with new measurement capabilities to expand its scientific reach.

MetOp-SG-A1, carries six instruments: a next-generation infrared atmospheric sounder, a microwave sounder, a multispectral imaging radiometer, a novel multiviewing, multichannel, multipolarisation imager, a radio occultation sounder (which is also embarked on the MetOp-SG-B satellites), and the European Commission’s Copernicus Sentinel-5 spectrometer.

Building on the success of the Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite, the new Copernicus Sentinel-5 introduces an advanced imaging spectrometer. The first of these cutting-edge instruments, Sentinel-5A, is integrated into MetOp-SG-A1, and will work in synergy with other onboard instruments.

The missions will launch on an Ariane 6 with two boosters. Ariane 6 is Europe’s heavy launcher and a key element of ESA’s efforts to ensure autonomous access to space for Europe’s citizens. Its modular and versatile design allows it to launch all missions from low-Earth orbit into deep space. Standing over 60 metres tall, Ariane 6 can weigh almost 900 tonnes when launched with a full payload.