Metop series
Polar-orbiting satellites providing global data for weather forecasts up to 10 days and climate monitoring
Metop satellites provide detailed global observations of the atmosphere, oceans and land
Last Updated
29 November 2022
Published on
15 April 2020
EUMETSAT operates Europe’s Metop-B and –C satellites, which circle the globe via the poles and continuously collect data from an altitude of 817 km.
The satellites carry a payload of eight main instruments and the data they collect are essential for weather forecasting up to 10 days ahead and climate monitoring.
The Metop satellites and the ground segment collectively form the EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS), which is Europe’s contribution to the Initial Joint Polar System shared with NOAA.
Metop Second Generation - A new era in weather and climate monitoring
Metop’s valuable contributions will continue into the 2040s with the advent of Metop-Second Generation (Metop-SG) from mid-2020s onwards.
The Metop-SG A and Metop-SG B satellites will operate in three successive pairs and carry enhanced (e.g. IASI-NG) and new instruments (e.g. 3MI, MWI and ICI), and the Copernicus Sentinel-5 instrument.
Facts and figures
Current Satellites
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Metop-B
- Lifetime:
- From 17/09/2012
- Position:
- Low Earth Orbit
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Metop-C
- Lifetime:
- From 07/11/2018
- Position:
- Low Earth Orbit
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Future Satellites
Retired satellites
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Metop-A
- Launch date:
- 19/10/2006
- Retirement date:
- 30/11/2021
- Details:
- Provision of global and regional data service, with a limited direct readout capability
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