New European weather and climate satellite launched

The first of a new series of European satellites for meteorology and climate has been launched. Called MetOp Second Generation (MetOp-SG-A1) , it was launched by the European Space Agency's Ariane 6 rocket from its base in Kourou, French Guiana, into polar orbit where it will operate. The satellite, weighing four tonnes , carries the new Sentinel-5 instrument from the European Copernicus programme, designed to provide critical data on atmospheric pollutants , ozone and other gases important for the climate . The launch was successful, ESA announced, and the solar panels also deployed correctly. Born from a collaboration between ESA and Eumetsat, the European organisation for the management of meteorological satellites, the mission involves three successive pairs of satellites , each consisting of a type A satellite and a type B satellite , equipped with a series of different but complementary instruments . The MetOp-SG-A1 satellite is an A-type satellite and carries the Sentinel-5 spectrometer for Copernicus, the Earth observation component of the European Union space programme. "With increasingly erratic weather conditions , timely and accurate forecasts have never been more essential , and the MetOp-SG mission is set to play a key role in improving weather forecasting and climate monitoring ," notes Simonetta Cheli, ESA's Director of Earth Observation Programmes. Sentinel-5 will also provide timely data for monitoring air pollution. Phil Evans, Director General of Eumetsat, said: "The launch of MetOp-SG-A1 is an important step forward in equipping our Member States' national meteorological services with more effective tools to save lives, protect property, and strengthen resilience to the climate crisis." Over the past 40 years, "extreme weather events have cost Europe hundreds of billions of euros and tens of thousands of human lives." Italy 's role in the mission is important. The launch operations, the deployment of the solar panels, and the critical phases of the launch were managed by Italy, through the Fucino Space Center, managed by Telespazio, a subsidiary of the Leonardo group. The latter is involved in both the MetOp-SG-A1 mission and the Sentinel-5 instrument of the Copernicus program.
For both missions, Leonardo provided electro-optical instruments manufactured at its Campi Bisenzio site (Florence). For Massimo Claudio Comparini, Managing Director of Leonardo's Space Division, "Earth observation from space is one of the most relevant and strategic frontiers for our planet, for understanding and addressing global challenges related to the environment, sustainability, and security. In this scenario," he said, "the MetOp-SG-A1 missions, by ESA and Eumetsat, and Sentinel-5 for Copernicus are a new piece of this vision and this story. We continue with increased commitment to designing solutions that integrate state-of-the-art technologies, digital technologies, and systemic innovation, leveraging national and European industrial expertise to build, through space, a sustainable future, aware of this important challenge."
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