First MetOp Second-Generation Satellite Completed with Sibling Undergoing Tests

First MetOp Second-Generation Satellite Completed with Sibling Undergoing Tests
by Erica Marchand
Paris, France (SPX) Oct 11, 2024

The first MetOp Second Generation-A satellite (MetOp-SG-A1) has been fully assembled and is scheduled for launch next year, while its companion, MetOp-SG-B1, is undergoing stringent testing to ensure it can withstand the harsh conditions of space.

MetOp-SG is an advanced continuation of the original MetOp satellites, designed in three successive pairs of A-type and B-type satellites. Each pair will work together in polar orbit, carrying different but complementary instruments to deliver valuable global meteorological data for weather forecasting and climate prediction over the next 20 years.

Accurate weather forecasts are vital not only for public safety but also for key industries such as agriculture, energy, and transportation. Improved forecasting can reduce risks, enhance efficiency, and protect resources across multiple sectors.

Europe operates two primary weather satellite systems: the Meteosat satellites in geostationary orbit for short-term weather predictions and the MetOp satellites in polar orbit. The latter provides global coverage by orbiting Earth every 50 minutes at an altitude of 832 km, enabling detailed daily observations.

Fermin Alvarez Lopez, ESA's MetOp-SG System and Operations Manager, commented, "MetOp-SG-A1 has been at Airbus' facilities in France for around two years where engineers have been carefully integrating its instrument package. With the satellite carrying no less than six measuring instruments, this is an extremely complex task and we are thrilled to see the satellite now fully equipped."

These instruments include an infrared sounding interferometer, a radio occultation instrument, a microwave sounder, and a multispectral visible and infrared imaging radiometer, along with the Copernicus Sentinel-5 instrument for air quality monitoring.

Marc Loiselet, ESA's MetOp-SG Project Manager, emphasized, "We have truly reached an important milestone with MetOp-SG-A1 completely assembled. Our thanks go to the many people involved. And we are also well on target for getting its partner MetOp-SG-B1 ready too with engineers now putting it through complex thermal-vacuum tests."

Before launch, the satellites undergo rigorous tests in thermal-vacuum chambers to simulate the conditions of space. These chambers, like the one at Airbus Defence and Space in Toulouse, mimic the vacuum and extreme temperatures the satellites will face, ensuring they are fully operational for their missions.

Enrico Corpaccioli, ESA's MetOp-SG Engineering Manager, described the testing process: "The thermal-vacuum chamber is lined with black metal through which liquid nitrogen circulates at -192 C to simulate the coldness of space. Solar heat is simulated using large lamps. The tests require patience, running 24/7 for about a month, with over 100 engineers involved."