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Metop: The power of three

31 Oct 2018

Metop-A was launched in 2006 and Metop-B in 2012, and now it is time for Metop-C. This latest polar-orbiting weather satellite will soon liftoff from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 01:47 CET on 7 November (21:47 on 6 November local time).

Launching sequentially ensures continuous observations of a host of atmospheric variables such as temperature, humidity, trace gases, ozone and wind speed over the ocean. These data are used largely for numerical weather prediction - the basis for weather forecasting. While it was envisaged that each successive satellite would take over from its predecessor, thanks to the extraordinary quality of these satellites, both Metop-A and Metop-B are still going strong. With Metop-C, the mission continues as a three-satellite constellation, increasing the wealth of data for weather forecasting.

The Metop programme is thanks to a collaborative undertaking between ESA and EUMETSAT. The programme is also Europe's contribution to a cooperative venture with the US NOAA agency.

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