EUMETSAT has taken control of the Metop Second Generation A1 satellite

Over three intense days, experts worked together to perform a series of complex steps and manoeuvres to guide the satellite into its low-Earth orbit – just over 800 kilometres above the Earth’s surface, an endeavour made possible through the dedicated collaboration of EUMETSAT, the European Space Agency (ESA), Telespazio Italy, Airbus Defence and Space, and other partners.

The successful completion of Metop-SGA1’s LEOP marks a major milestone in the deployment of the EUMETSAT Polar System – Second Generation (EPS-SG), Europe’s next-generation polar-orbiting weather satellite programme. EPS-SG will provide critical data for improving life-saving weather forecasts and a wide range of other critical services that benefit lives and livelihoods across EUMETSAT member states and beyond. It is expected to deliver a return on investment of at least 20:1 to the EU-27 economy.

Metop-SGA1 lifted off at 02:37 CEST on 13 August 2025 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on board an Ariane-62 rocket. It is the first satellite in the EPS-SG programme to be launched and carries a suite of cutting-edge instruments, including the European Union’s Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission.

The LEOP began when Metop-SGA1 separated from its launch vehicle, initiating a carefully planned and executed sequence of activities, including solar panel deployment, propulsion system activation, attitude stabilisation, and a series of orbital manoeuvres. The satellite is now drifting in tandem with its predecessor, Metop-C – a strategy designed to improve the accuracy, stability and continuity of Earth observation data provided by Metop series satellites.