Metop SGA1 begins delivering atmospheric data weeks after launch

Metop SGA1 begins delivering atmospheric data weeks after launch
by Erica Marchand
Paris, France (SPX) Sep 03, 2025

Less than three weeks after its 13 August launch, the Metop Second Generation A1 (Metop-SGA1) satellite is already transmitting data from two of its six instruments. Early readings from the Microwave Sounder (MWS) and the Radio Occultation Sounder (RO) mark the beginning of a new era in European meteorological and climate monitoring.

Metop-SGA1 is the first satellite in the EUMETSAT Polar System - Second Generation, designed to enhance Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) and provide vital atmospheric and oceanic observations. Data are being received via the Svalbard Ground Station and processed at EUMETSAT headquarters, even as the spacecraft undergoes its lengthy commissioning phase.

The MWS, which measures temperature, humidity, precipitation and ice clouds at double the resolution of its predecessor, began returning images only one week after liftoff. Initial scans captured European summer temperatures and Antarctic sea ice.

The RO instrument, a limb-sounding system, is generating around 1,400 daily vertical profiles of temperature, humidity, and ionospheric electron density. Its fine vertical resolution allows for detailed atmospheric structure analysis and calibration support for other sensors. Temperature profiles from 20 August suggest strong potential to sharpen future forecasts.

Though the data is not yet cleared for operational use, both instruments are expected to significantly boost the accuracy of NWP once fully validated. The commissioning process will continue for several months before data are released to meteorological services across EUMETSAT's Member States.

Phil Evans, EUMETSAT Director-General, said, "Receiving these first data so quickly is a thrilling achievement for EUMETSAT, particularly considering the technological sophistication of Metop-SGA1 and its payload. In collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and our European industry partners, EUMETSAT teams are working intensely to render all the satellite's instruments operational, and the fact that data is already flowing seamlessly from the MWS and the RO shows that we are firmly on the right track to having powerful, validated products ready for our user community in the planned timeframe."

Simonetta Cheli, ESA's Director of Earth Observation Programmes, added, "These first glimpses of data are extremely encouraging, and I want to thank all the teams who have contributed - both to developing the mission as a whole and to operating and commissioning Metop-SGA1 in orbit. This is a major undertaking: six satellites in total, flying in successive pairs and delivering critical data for at least the next 20 years. While we closely monitor Metop-SGA1's early performance, we are already in the final stages of preparing its companion, Metop-SGB1, for launch next year."