KOUROU: A new European satellite designed to improve extreme weather monitoring blasted into orbit aboard an Ariane 6 rocket from French Guiana.
The MetOp-SGA1 satellite will provide earlier warnings for deadly heatwaves, storms and other disasters across Europe as part of a US-led global weather tracking system.
“Metop-SGA1 observations will help meteorologists improve short- and medium-term weather models that can save lives by enabling early warnings of storms, heatwaves, and other disasters,“ said the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites.
The four-tonne satellite reached its 800 kilometre high polar orbit equipped with instruments twice as precise as existing weather monitoring technology.
It will track ocean temperatures, atmospheric greenhouse gases, desert dust movements and cloud cover with unprecedented accuracy for European forecasters.
“Extreme weather has cost Europe hundreds of billions euros and tens of thousands of lives over the past 40 years,“ said EUMETSAT director-general Phil Evans.
The satellite represents Europe’s first contribution to the Joint Polar System programme, which coordinates weather satellites between the north and south poles.
This marked the third successful launch for Ariane 6 since its debut flight last year, with 32 more missions planned from the Kourou spaceport in coming years.
“The launch of Metop-SGA1 is a major step forward in giving national weather services sharper tools to save lives and protect property,“ Evans added. – AFP