Europe’s Metop-SGA1 Orbiting Weather Satellite Launched

Arianespace launched EUMETSAT's Metop-SGA1 (Metop – Second Generation, 1), the first of a series of six polar-orbiting weather satellites, into orbit. EUMETSAT is the European operational satellite agency for monitoring weather, climate, and the environment from space. Beyond Gravity is delivering radio occultation instruments, providing important data for weather forecasts and climate monitoring to all six Airbus-built satellites. The Metop-SGA1 launched on the Ariane 6 rocket, featuring payload fairing from Beyond Gravity made of carbon fiber composite materials.

The satellite structures are six-meters high, weigh around one ton, and are built of carbon fiber, aluminum, and titanium. Beyond Gravity provided thermal insulation for the weather satellite, protecting it from extreme temperature fluctuations of plus/minus two hundred degrees Celsius in space, and stabilizing the interior of the satellite at a constant room temperature to ensure safe functioning of the instruments on board.

“This new European weather satellite, together with its five counterparts, will significantly enhance weather forecasting accuracy and climate change monitoring. A key element of this mission is our radio occultation instrument. Our so-called radio occultation instrument provides important weather data, for example about humidity and temperature, and underlines our capabilities as an important data provider,” said Oliver Grassmann, Executive Vice President Satellites at Beyond Gravity.

Phil Evans, Director-General of EUMETSAT, added “Extreme weather has cost Europe hundreds of billions of euros and tens of thousands of lives over the past 40 years—storms like Boris, Daniel and Hans, record heatwaves and fierce wildfires are just the latest reminders. The launch of Metop-SGA1 is a major step forward in giving national weather services in our member states sharper tools to save lives, protect property, and build resilience against the climate crisis. These positive impacts will be felt even beyond that and over the Atlantic, as Metop-SGA1 is Europe's first contribution to the Joint Polar System with NOAA. This milestone reflects years of teamwork across EUMETSAT, ESA, the EU, CNES, DLR, Airbus, Thales Alenia Space, and many others. This is the beginning of an exciting new chapter as we work to ensure the satellite settles into orbit and starts delivering the vital data it was built to provide.”