Ariane 6 Launches Metop-SGA1 Weather Satellite into Polar Orbit

Weather forecasting gets a lift with launch of new monitoring satellite

Accurate data is vital to accurate weather forecasting; what role will six new satellites play in improving our ability to predict the weather?Artist’s impression of the MetOp Second Generation A-type satellite above Earth. Credit: ESA/ATG medialabA long-term project to advance global observation capabilities and enhance weather forecast accuracy has seen the first of six satellites launched into low-earth orbit by EUMETSAT and the European Spac…

Ariane 6 Launches Metop-SGA1 Weather Satellite into Polar Orbit

Europe’s heavy-lift Ariane 6 rocket completed its third successful launch on Aug. 12, 2025, lifting off from Kourou, French Guiana at 8:37 p.m. EDT. The mission carried Metop-SGA1, an 8,900-pound next-generation polar-orbiting weather satellite operated by EUMETSAT. Placed into an 800 km polar orbit 64 minutes after liftoff, Metop-SGA1 will deliver high-resolution global observations of temperature, precipitation, clouds, winds, sea ice, aerosol…