MetOp-SG-B1 weather satellite arrives at Europes Spaceport
Following a 10-day voyage across the Atlantic from Bordeaux in France, the MetOp Second Generation-B1 weather satellite, has arrived at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. After a short storage period, this new satellite will be prepared for launch aboard an Ariane 6 rocket, expected at the end of the year.
The MetOp Second Generation (MetOp-SG) mission relies on a duo of complementary satellites to strengthen Europe's weather forecasting capabilities from polar orbit. The first satellite, MetOp-SG-A1, was launched in August 2025 and now it will soon be time for MetOp-SG-B1 to join its partner.
The two satellites carry complementary suites of instruments – 11 between them – to deliver high-resolution measurements of temperature, precipitation, clouds, winds and other key atmospheric and environmental variables.
As one of the most advanced atmospheric monitoring systems ever deployed, the MetOp-SG mission comprises three successive pairs of satellites to supply meteorologists with the global data essential for predicting storms, tracking climate trends, and improving the accuracy of everyday weather forecasts over the next two decades, at least.
The MetOp-SG B-type satellites carry five instruments: a scatterometer, to provide ocean-surface wind vectors and land-surface soil moisture, a radio occultation sounder (which is also on the A-type satellites) to provide atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles, as well as information about the ionosphere, a microwave imager to monitor precipitation and to assess sea-ice extent, an ice cloud imager to measure cloud-ice water, and an Argos-4 advanced data collection system which gathers and transmits data from surface, buoy, ship, balloon and airborne platforms.
With the launch expected by the end of the year, the MetOp-SG-B1 satellite underwent its final testing and was carefully packed in its shipping container at Airbus' facilities in Toulouse.
From there it was transported by lorry to Bordeaux where it was loaded onto a ship called Canopée for its voyage across the Atlantic to French Guiana.
Karsten Strauch, ESA's MetOp-SG-B1 launch campaign manager, said, "We were delighted to welcome Canopée to Pariacabo harbour, marking an important milestone on the road to launch.
"Combining wind power with conventional fuel, this innovative vessel offers the most sustainable way of transporting MetOp-SG-B1 across the Atlantic. On board were the satellite, securely housed in its transport container, and six additional containers of essential launch-preparation equipment – 75 tonnes of cargo in total."
Arriving on 16 October, the satellite container was offloaded on 17 October and taken to Europe's Spaceport and put into storage, where it will remain for a couple of weeks until the preparations for its liftoff begin.
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