Europe Launches First in New Fleet of Climate Tracking Satellites
A cutting edge European satellite, built by UK aerospace company Airbus, has been successfully launched to improve weather forecasting and monitor climate change. The MetOp-SG A1 spacecraft lifted off at 01:37 BST from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, aboard an Ariane 6 rocket.
Developed under the leadership of the European Space Agency (ESA), the satellite is the first of six planned for deployment over the next two decades. Airbus teams in Stevenage, Toulouse, and Friedrichshafen are constructing the remaining five. Each pair of satellites will work together one collecting atmospheric and imaging data, the other gathering microwave and radar observations to deliver precise weather and climate insights.
The MetOp-SG A1 also features a propulsion system enabling controlled re-entry into the ocean at the end of its mission, helping reduce space debris. More than 100 engineers in Stevenage alone contributed to the project, which began in 2016.
Martin Gittins, head of propulsion at Airbus Stevenage, described the launch as “incredibly exciting,” while ESA’s earth observation director, Simonetta Cheli, emphasized its importance for timely and accurate forecasting amid increasingly unpredictable weather.
Airbus space systems head Alain Fauré hailed the mission as a “landmark moment” for global weather forecasting, calling the satellites “sentinels of our planet” that will provide more accurate predictions for communities worldwide.
