EUMETSAT’s Mission Control Centre has officially taken the reins of the Metop Second Generation A1 (Metop-SGA1) satellite, following the successful completion of the spacecraft’s launch and early operations phase (LEOP).
Over three intense days, experts worked together to perform a series of complex steps and manoeuvres to guide the satellite into LEO—just over 800 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, an endeavor made possible through the dedicated collaboration of EUMETSAT, the European Space Agency (ESA), Telespazio Italy, Airbus Defence and Space, and other partners.
The successful completion of Metop-SGA1’s LEOP marks a major milestone in the deployment of the EUMETSAT Polar System – Second Generation (EPS-SG), Europe’s next-generation polar-orbiting weather satellite program. EPS-SG will provide critical data for improving life-saving weather forecasts and a wide range of other critical services that benefit lives and livelihoods across EUMETSAT member states and beyond. It is expected to deliver a return on investment of at least 20:1 to the EU-27 economy.
Metop-SGA1 lifted off at 02:37 CEST on August 13, 202,5 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on board an Ariane-62 rocket. It is the first satellite in the EPS-SG program to be launched and carries a suite of cutting-edge instruments, including the European Union’s Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission.
The LEOP began when Metop-SGA1 separated from its launch vehicle, initiating a carefully planned and executed sequence of activities, including solar panel deployment, propulsion system activation, attitude stabilization, and a series of orbital maneuvers. The satellite is now drifting in tandem with its predecessor, Metop-C—a strategy designed to improve the accuracy, stability and continuity of Earth observation data provided by Metop series satellites.
While the LEOP lasted just three intense days, successfully positioning Metop-SGA1 in orbit in the correct configuration on board is an achievement that reflects years of outstanding teamwork and dedication from engineers and managers at EUMETSAT, ESA, Airbus, and Telespazio,” said Valeria Bozzi, Metop LEOP Service Manager at EUMETSAT. “Now that EUMETSAT has taken control of Metop-SGA1, we move into the satellite’s commissioning phase – preparing it for full operations, where it will become one of the most important sources of data for numerical weather prediction. This will help improve life-saving forecasts and strengthen climate monitoring in Europe and around the world.”