Successful launch of Airbus-built satellite ushers in new era of meteorology
An Airbus-built satellite has been placed into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 800 km after successfully launching onboard an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
The Ariane 6 rocket blasted off on August 12, 2025, at 22:41, local time, as part of a European collaboration to usher in the next-generation of meteorological satellites.
Built under the lead of the European Space Agency (ESA) for EUMETSAT, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, the Airbus satellite has now established communication and is beginning its commissioning phase.
“The successful launch of MetOp-SG A1 is a landmark moment for Europe and for global weather forecasting,” said Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus. “Having designed and built the first generation of MetOp satellites, we now see the first of this powerful new series in orbit. These satellites will be the sentinels of our planet, helping to deliver more accurate weather predictions that benefit citizens across the globe.”
Arianespace said that the VA264 mission represents the second commercial flight for Europe’s new heavy-lift launcher Ariane 6.
Liftoff of Ariane 6 flight #VA264 launching Metop-SG-A1 and Copernicus Sentinel-5A to orbit! pic.twitter.com/7HTlq6c9Ow— European Space Agency (@esa) August 13, 2025 MetOp-SG A1 is the first in a new series of six satellites that will ensure the continuity and enhancement of meteorological data from space into the mid-2040s.
“Extreme weather has cost Europe hundreds of billions of euros and tens of thousands of lives over the past 40 years—storms like Boris, Daniel and Hans, record heatwaves and fierce wildfires are just the latest reminders. The launch of Metop-SGA1 is a major step forward in giving national weather services in our member states sharper tools to save lives, protect property, and build resilience against the climate crisis,” said Phil Evans, Director-General of EUMETSAT.
The successful mission involved a partnership between EUMETSAT, ESA, the European Union’s Copernicus program, the French Space Agency (CNES), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the UK Space Agency, and an industrial consortium led by Airbus.
“This launch marks the start of a new era that will significantly enhance weather forecasting accuracy, providing critical data for years to come,” said a spokesperson for Airbus.
What is the intended function of the new satellites?
The program consists of two types of satellites with three satellites each, ‘A’ and ‘B’, which carry complementary instrument packages.
This first ‘A’ satellite is equipped with sophisticated atmospheric sounding and imaging instruments while the MetOp-SG B satellites carry instruments for microwave imaging and radar observations.
The advanced payload on MetOp-SG A1 includes the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer – Next Generation (IASI-NG), which will provide highly detailed data for weather forecasting and climate research.
It also carries the METimage visible and infrared imager, a Microwave Sounder, a Radio Occultation Sounder, and the Multi-viewing, Multi-channel, Multi-polarisation Imager, designed to improve aerosol and cloud monitoring.
Mission success for flight #VA264!On August 12, 2025 at 10:41 p.m. Kourou local time (01:41 a.m. UTC, 3:41 a.m. CEST, on August 13), #Ariane6 placed #MetopSGA1 into a sun-synchronous orbit for @Eumetsat, reaffirming Europe’s commitment to Earth observation- (1/3) pic.twitter.com/cAZyNjR2Es— Arianespace (@Arianespace) August 13, 2025 Furthermore, the satellite hosts the Copernicus Sentinel-5 instrument, which will measure trace gases and pollutants to monitor atmospheric composition in unprecedented detail.
The A series satellites are being built at Airbus in Toulouse, France, and the B series at Airbus in Friedrichshafen, in Germany.
The nominal operational lifetime of each MetOp-SG satellite is 7.5 years, ensuring full operational coverage over a 21-year period.
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An Airbus-built satellite has been placed into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 800 km after successfully…
The post Successful launch of Airbus-built satellite ushers in new era of meteorology appeared first on AeroTime.
