MetOp

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MetOp
Phase : / Status : active

MetOp
Type: Weather satellite
Organization: Eumetsat
COSPAR designation : 2006-044A
Mission dates
Start date: October 19, 2006
Starting place: Baikonur
Launcher: Soyuz-2-1a / Fregat
Mission duration: 14 years each
Orbit data
Origin of coordinates: earth
Track height: 820 km
General spacecraft data
Takeoff mass: 4100 kg
Dimensions: (H × W × D) 17.6 × 6.7 × 5.4 m
Manufacturer: Astrium
Specific spacecraft data
Electrical power: 3900 W
Others
Subsequent
mission:		 MetOp-SG
 
 1998 Program start
 
 October 19, 2006 Start MetOp-A
 
 17th September 2012 Start MetOp-B
 
 
 2018 Start MetOp-C

MetOp ( Met eorological Op erational Satellite ) is a series of three European weather satellites with near-Earth polar orbit . MetOp was developed by the European weather satellite operator EUMETSAT and the European space agency ESA in collaboration with Astrium , the French space agency CNES and the US weather agency NOAA for the EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS). The EPS is used for operational meteorology and climate observation. The satellite construction is based on a version of the Astrium-built polar platform of the Envisat satellite.

With a higher resolution of the images, better observation of the polar and North Atlantic regions and by measuring the temperature and humidity distribution with unprecedented accuracy, MetOp helps to extend the reliable forecast interval from three to five days.

Creation of the program

A polar orbiting weather satellite for Europe was discussed for the first time at the end of the 1960s. However, since at that time the USA made the data of its civil weather satellites available, there was hardly any need to develop its own polar orbiting satellite. In the early 1980s, however, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was looking for a partner to continue the service. Finally, in 1998, the EUMETSAT and ESA council bodies gave their approval for the construction, development, launch and operation of the European Polar System (EPS) for the first time. EUMETSAT and NOAA signed an agreement on a joint Initial Joint Polar System (IJPS), consisting of two polar orbiting satellites and the associated ground stations. In another agreement, it was agreed to operate until at least 2019.

Orbit

The near-earth polar orbit of the MetOp satellites makes them an ideal addition to the geostationary weather satellites of the Meteosat series. Due to the low altitude of only approx. 820 km, the resolution of the imaging sensors is much better than that of geostationary satellites, which work at an altitude of almost 35,800 km. However, the field of view of the instruments is reduced to the same extent. Satellites with polar orbits can scan almost the entire surface of the earth within a day, but MetOp can only observe a certain area once per orbit for about 15 minutes, while geostationary satellites continuously cover a single area.

Another advantage of satellites in polar orbits is better coverage of the polar regions. The Meteosat satellites only observe that part of the globe that is visible from their apparently fixed position above the equator. Areas far from the equator are measured at a flat angle, which affects the spatial resolution.

MetOp-A

The first MetOp-A satellite with a launch mass of 4,093 kg took off - after several abortions - on July 17, 2006 at 16:28 UTC in Baikonur . The modified Soyuz-2-1a / Fregat , which previously only had a suborbital test launch, served as the launch vehicle . Because MetOp has a much larger volume than the payloads previously launched with the Soyuz Fregat, the Soyuz-2-1a / Fregat used a voluminous ST payload fairing for the first time (largely identical in size and shape to the payload fairing of the Ariane 4 ).

69 minutes after the successful start, MetOp-A was suspended by the Fregat upper level and started operations in early 2007. It orbits the earth on a polar (more precisely sun-synchronous) orbit at an altitude of approx. 820 km with an orbit inclination of 98.72 °.

The satellite consists of two modules: The service module is responsible for power supply, position regulation and control (S-band transmission of telemetry and telecommands) and was developed by EADS in France on the basis of the SPOT earth observation satellites. The payload module contains the instruments and the data transmission of the payload data to the ground (essentially X-band ) and was developed by EADS in Germany (Friedrichshafen).

Instruments

The satellite observes the weather with its 13 instruments. Some of them are identical in construction to instruments of the American NOAA -18 weather satellite, which fulfills a similar function. In addition, MetOp supplies environmental data to the environmental information systems involved . To do this, it measures the temperature and humidity distribution with great precision, as do trace gases in the atmosphere such as ozone , CO and CO 2 , nitrogen oxides , sulfur dioxide and methane .

A number of instruments fly on the MetOp-A, which carry out operational measurements of the atmosphere as well as land and sea surfaces.

  • IASI ( Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer ): Measurement of the temperature of the air and the surface of the oceans, as well as measurement of air humidity, content of trace gases
  • MHS (Microwave Humidity Sounder): Measurement of the humidity of the atmosphere
  • GRAS (Global Navigation Satellite System Receiver for Atmospheric Sounding): Measurement of the temperature in the upper troposphere and the stratosphere with high vertical resolution
  • ASCAT (Advanced Scatterometer): Measurement of wind speed and direction over the sea surface and of soil moisture over land.
  • GOME-2 (Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2): Creation of ozone profiles of the atmosphere
  • AMSU-A1 / AMSU-A2 (Advanced Microwave Sounding Units): Measurement of sea ice, temperature and humidity in all weather conditions
  • HIRS / 4 (High-resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder): Measurement of air temperature and humidity
  • AVHRR / 3 (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer): Imaging in the visible and near infrared range of clouds and surfaces
  • A-DCS (Advanced Data Collection System): Collection of data from other ground- or sea-based observation stations
  • SEM-2 (Space Environment Monitor): Particle detector consisting of the Total Energy Detector (TED) for low-energy particles and the Medium Energy Proton and Electron Detector (MEPED) for medium-energy particles
  • SARP-3 (Search And Rescue Processor)
  • SARR (Search And Rescue Repeater): Reception and transmission of emergency signals

MetOp-B and MetOp-C

The launch of the successor satellite MetOp-B was delayed due to the crash of a Soyuz rocket in August 2011. After further shifts, MetOp-B was launched on September 17, 2012. The third MetOp-C satellite was launched on November 7, 2018.

costs

The costs are expected to be € 2.5 billion. Of this, € 0.5 billion will go to ESA for the development, construction and transport of the satellites and approx. € 2 billion to EUMETSAT for the ongoing operation of the satellites, reception and analysis of the data.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Message "Europe's new MetOp weather satellite reaches polar orbit" on the ESA homepage
  2. ↑ Klaus Donath: European weather satellite MetOp-B launched. raumfahrer.net, September 17, 2012, accessed on September 18, 2012 .
  3. ↑ "Metop-C" weather satellite launched. ZDF, accessed on November 7, 2018 .