Following a short period in storage after arriving at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, the MetOp Second Generation-B1 satellite has been transferred to a cleanroom and removed from its transport container.

Following a 10-day voyage across the Atlantic from Bordeaux in France, the MetOp Second Generation-B1 weather satellite, has arrived at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

With launch planned for later this year, testing is well underway to ensure the MetOp Second Generation-B1 weather satellite is ready for its life in orbit around Earth. These checks include verifying that its spectacular four-panel, 11-metre-long, solar wing will deploy correctly.

The MetOp Second Generation-B1 satellite has entered its third and most delicate round of pre-launch testing, marking another step towards strengthening Europe’s weather forecasting capabilities.Engineers are now putting the satellite through rigorous electromagnetic compatibility tests to ensure that its many electronic systems can operate without interfering with one another once this new weather satellite is in orbit around Earth next year.

MetOp-SG satellites

MetOp Second Generation B-type satellite

MetOp-SG-A1 and Sentinel-5 lift off on Ariane 6