Europe’s first MetOp Second Generation, MetOp-SG-A1, weather satellite – which hosts Copernicus Sentinel-5 as part of its instrument package – is set for liftoff on an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 13 August 2025 at 02:37 CEST (12 August 21:37 Kourou time).

Watch live on ESA Web TV One.

Follow the launch live on Wednesday 13 August 2025 (all times in CEST)

02:10:   Streaming from Arianespace starts

02:14:   Introductions, interviews and mission status updates

02:37:   Liftoff and live commentary

03:02:   Break

03:30:   Streaming resumes with live commentary

03:46:   Acquisition of signal

04:00:   Streaming ends

About MetOp Second Generation
Data from the first-generation MetOp satellites have been the most significant factor in enhancing the accuracy of European weather forecasts for periods ranging from 12 hours to 10 days. But now it’s time for the MetOp-Second Generation mission, or MetOp-SG for short, to take over the reigns – not only ensure the continuity of global observations from polar orbit for weather forecasting and climate analysis, but to do it even better.

The mission as a whole not only ensures the continued delivery of global observations from polar orbit for weather forecasting and climate analysis for more than 20 years, but also offers enhanced accuracy and resolution compared to the original MetOp mission – along with new measurement capabilities to expand its scientific reach.

MetOp-SG-A1 is the first in a series of three successive pairs of satellites. It will be followed by its partner satellite, MetOp-SG-B1, next year.

Each MetOp-SG pair is made up of an A-type and a B-type satellite that carry a different, but complementary, suite of remarkable instruments. The package totals ten different instruments across both satellites, some of which are based on the sound heritage of the first MetOp series, and some of which are completely new.

The A-type satellites, the first of which is the soon-to-launch MetOp-SG-A1, carry six instruments: a next-generation infrared atmospheric sounder, a microwave sounder, a multispectral imaging radiometer, a novel multiviewing, multichannel, multipolarisation imager, a radio occultation sounder (which is also embarked on the MetOp-SG-B satellites), and the European Commission’s Copernicus Sentinel-5 spectrometer.

The MetOp Second Generation mission is thanks to the long-standing cooperation between ESA and Eumetsat, where ESA is responsible for designing and building the satellites, and Eumetsat procures the launch service, develops the ground segment, operates the satellites and provides the data to the worldwide meteorological user community.

Source: ESA