ESA and EUMETSAT reaffirm long standing co-operation for MetOp(Forwarded)

ESA News
http://www.esa.int

23 February 2006

ESA and EUMETSAT reaffirm long standing co-operation for MetOp

Clearing the way for the launch of the Meteorological Operational
satellite (MetOp), Mr Dordain, the Director General of ESA and Dr Prahm,
Director General of EUMETSAT met at ESA headquarters in Paris, France, on
22 February to sign an update of the co-operation agreement for the MetOp
programme, in place since 1999.

MetOp-A, planned to be launched on 30 June 2006, will be Europe's first
polar-orbiting satellite dedicated to operational meteorology. Designed
and developed by ESA in partnership with EUMETSAT (European Organisation
for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites), MetOp will provide
invaluable data services for improving weather forecasts and climate
monitoring.

According to the co-operation agreement between ESA and EUMETSAT, ESA is
responsible for the development of the space segment and EUMETSAT for the
overall system, including the launch services, the ground segment and the
operations for the duration of the mission.

EUMETSAT will become the owner of MetOp-A at the point of lift-off, and
will grant ESA access in the field of space research and technology,
including scientific and applications research, study contracts and
instrument development.

The EUMETSAT Polar System programme includes a series of three MetOp
satellites, each with a nominal life in orbit of five years, to be
launched sequentially over 14 years.

MetOp-A will be armed with a new generation of European instruments and a
set of 'heritage' instruments supplied by the United States.

The new European instruments -- provided by ESA, the Centre National
d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and EUMETSAT -- will augment the accuracy of
temperature and humidity measurements, wind speed and wind direction over
the ocean measurements and profiles of ozone in the atmosphere.

The ESA MetOp programme is an optional programme funded by twelve
countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the
Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom).
The total cost of the overall system -- including three satellites,
launchers and ground segment and operations -- is Euro 2.4 billion [USD
2.86 billion].

MetOp-A will be launched by a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Space Centre
in Kazakhstan.

Related news

* Russian space agency to launch Europe's MetOp-A satellite
http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEM8L03IU7E_economy_0.html

Related missions

* MetOp overview
http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEM9NO2VQUD_index_0_m.html

In depth

* Baikonur

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESA_Perm...SA1XDYD_0.html

Related links

* EUMETSAT
http://www.eumetsat.int

IMAGE CAPTIONS:

[Image 1:
http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEMI3CMVGJE_economy_1.html]
From left to right: Dr Prahm, Director General of EUMETSAT, Mr Peter
Edwards, ESA MetOp Project Manager, and Mr Dordain, Director General of
ESA. Dr Prahm and Mr Dordain signed an update of the co-operation
agreement for the MetOp programme.

Credits: ESA-S.Corvaja

[Image 2:
http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEMI3CMVGJE...html#subhead1]
The two main modules of the MetOp-FM2 satellite; the Payload Module, built
by EADS Astrium in Friedichshafen (Germany) and the Service Module, built
by EADS Astrium in Toulouse (France) were coupled together for the first
time in July 2004.

Following this coupling the satellite has been subjected to tests to
demonstrate the compatibility between the two modules and then to
demonstrate correct functional behaviour at system level.

Credits: EADS Astrium