The European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing MetOp-SG-B1 for an Ariane 6 launch near year-end, with activation and final ground checks ahead for a satellite designed to support weather forecasts and climate research.
After storage, the team brought the spacecraft into a cleanroom at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana and unpacked it. The campaign will proceed through activation, final checks and fueling. The satellite will then be enclosed in the Ariane 6 fairing and taken to the launch pad.
MetOp-SG-B1 will join MetOp-SG-A1, which launched in August 2025. Their complementary instruments will measure atmospheric and environmental conditions, including temperature, precipitation, clouds and winds. ESA’s mission plan uses three satellite pairs to sustain meteorological data collection for more than 20 years.
Development took more than 12 years, ESA said. The sail-assisted vessel Canopée carried the satellite from Bordeaux to Kourou, leaving Oct. 6 and arriving Oct. 16. ESA says the vessel’s sail system helps reduce fuel use and associated carbon dioxide emissions. The Ariane 6 launch is planned for near the end of 2026.
