Ariane 6 payload on board: MetOp-SG-A1 arrives in Kourou

Arriving by hybrid sailship Canopée, Europe will soon be taking another leap forward in its weather forecasting capacity as the first MetOp Second Generation, MetOp-SG-A1, satellite is now at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, marking a pivotal moment on the road to launch. This new polar-orbiting weather satellite also carries the Copernicus Sentinel-5 instrument to deliver daily global data on air pollutants and other atmospheric trace gases.

The two payloads will head to space on Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket, flight VA264. The rocket and payloads were manufactured in mainland Europe and transported by the novel ship Canopée (canopy in French). The ship is the first custom-built transporter to use sails, reducing emissions and saving on fuel by up to 30%.

About ESA

The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

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  ESA-CNES-ARIANESPACE/Optique vidéo du CSG–S. Martin

Source : ESA

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