Earth Science
Metop-SG B1
Metop-SG is the second-generation EUMETSAT Polar System: six satellites in three pairs, an A-type and a B-type in each, operating in succession for at least 20 years. It supports weather forecasting, nowcasting, and climate and environmental monitoring. B1 is the first B-type satellite; the A-type A1 launched on August 13, 2025.
- Operator
- EUMETSAT, with ESA as the development agency
- Launch vehicle
- Ariane 6
- Launch site
- Europe's Spaceport, Kourou, French Guiana
- Target orbit
- Sun-synchronous polar orbit, 98.7° inclination, 29-day repeat cycle
- Altitude
- 832 km (ESA programme table)
- Duration
- 7.5 years per satellite, with consumables for 9.5 years
- Schedule
- ESA's February 2026 update said the launch is scheduled for October 2026. No exact date has been published.
Instruments and payloads
- Scatterometer (SCA)
- Radio Occultation sounder (RO)
- Microwave Imager (MWI)
- Ice Cloud Imager (ICI)
- Argos-4 advanced data collection system
Primary source: esa.int. Facts checked on 2026-10-10. Dates are the operator's targets and can change; this page does not report launch outcomes.