The MetOp Second Generation-B1 weather satellite has been taken out of storage at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana and transferred to a cleanroom, where teams are preparing to reactivate it and begin final pre-launch checks. Its launch aboard an Ariane 6 rocket is planned for the end of the year.
After more than 12 years of development, the satellite left Bordeaux, France, aboard the sail-assisted transport vessel Canopée on 6 October and arrived in Kourou on 16 October. It remained inside its transport container in storage until preparations for launch began. The container maintained a dry, nitrogen-rich environment at a steady 22°C to protect the spacecraft’s components.
ESA’s Enrico Corpaccioli described the removal from the container and the start of the activation process as an important moment for the team, which is now moving on to the next steps towards launch.
Once in orbit, MetOp-SG-B1 will join its sibling, MetOp-SG-A1, which launched in August 2025. The two satellites carry complementary instruments that measure atmospheric and environmental conditions, including temperature, precipitation, clouds and winds. Their observations support weather forecasting and climate research.
The wider MetOp-SG mission consists of three successive pairs of satellites, intended to provide meteorological data for more than 20 years. In the coming weeks, the B1 satellite is scheduled to be switched on, undergo final checks and be fuelled. It will then be enclosed in the Ariane 6 fairing and taken to the launch pad.
Sources: ESA Space News.