REMINDER : Almost time to cheer!  Launch of the Metop Second Generation A1 satellite,  hosting the Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission

Almost time to cheer!  Launch of the Metop Second Generation A1 satellite,  hosting the Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission

EUMETSAT, The European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission, together with European partners, are pleased to invite you to celebrate the upcoming launch of the Metop Second Generation A1 (Metop-SGA1) satellite, hosting the Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission.

The launch will take place on 12 August 2025, from the European Spaceport in Kourou, on board an Ariane-62 launcher.

Metop-SGA1 will be the first satellite from the second generation of Metop polar orbiting satellites to be launched. The Metop Second Generation series satellites will further Metop’s role as the single most important source of meteorological observations for forecasts 12 hours to 10 days ahead, until the mid-2040s. Their benefits to European countries will exceed 63 billion euros per year, with a benefit-cost ratio of at least 20:1. These data will help to save lives, protect economies, and support services that improve the wellbeing of people across Europe and beyond.

The six instruments on board Metop-SGA1 will provide a broad range of continuous, high-resolution observations essential for operational numerical weather prediction. The payload includes the Multi-Viewing, Multi-Channel, Multi-Polarisation Imager (3MI): Europe’s first operational polarimeter that will provide atmospheric aerosol and cloud imagery for climate monitoring, air quality forecasts, and numerical weather prediction.

In addition, the spacecraft will host three missions developed by different partners:

• the Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission is an Ultraviolet, Visible, Near-Infrared and Short-Wave Infrared Sounder, part of the Copernicus programme managed by the European Commission. It will monitor atmospheric composition, including methane, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and aerosols;
• the IASI-NG instrument is developed by CNES; it will continue the legacy of the IASI instrument, currently the international reference instrument for temperature and humidity measurements from space;
• the METimage instrument is developed by DLR; it will continue the legacy of the AVHRR radiometer and provide observations of the Earth’s radiation in both visible and infrared frequencies.

ESA holds key roles in the development, procurement, implementation as well as in-orbit verification of Metop-SGA1 and Copernicus Sentinel-5.

Members of the media are invited to take part in the following:

1. Pre-launch media briefing – online – 28 July 2025 at 14:00 CEST

Please register at Media form – ESA forms

(the connection link will be sent only to registered participants)

• The programme will be conducted in English only and will include speakers from all partner organisations:

• Moderator: Adelina de Campos, ESA
• Speakers:
  • Phil Evans, Director-General, EUMETSAT
  • Simonetta Cheli, Director of Earth Observation Programmes, ESA
  • Catharina Bamps, Policy Officer, Earth Observation Unit, European Commission
  • Simon Brown, Managing Director for Products and Services, UK MetOffice
  • Godela Rossner, Head of the Earth Observation Department, DLR
  • Selma Cherchali, Deputy Director of Earth Observation, CNES
     
• The following spokespeople are available for follow-up interviews in other languages as indicated:

• Lieven Bydekerke, Copernicus Programme Manager, EUMETSAT (English)
• Maurizio Betto, Senior Space Segment Engineer, EUMETSAT (Italian, English)
  Giordano Bruni, LEO Instruments System Manager, EUMETSAT (Italian, English)
• Fran Martinez Fadrique, EPSSG Programme Manager, EUMETSAT (Spanish, English)
• Cristian Bank, Director Programme Preparation and Development, EUMETSAT (German, English, Italian)
• Paul Counet, Head of Strategy, Communications and International Relations, EUMETSAT (French, English)

2. European launch event – in-person – no earlier than 12 August

Media representatives are invited to express their interest in attending the European
Metop-SGA1 launch event at ESTEC by contacting [email protected]

• The event will take place in person, at the ESA European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), Noordwijk, The Netherlands. It will start at 23:00 CEST

Source: ESA