Europe launches new meteorological satellite MetOp-SG A1

At 2:37 a.m. on August 13, Central European time (7:27 a.m. the same day, Vietnam time), the Ariane-62 rocket carrying the MetOp-SG A1 meteorological satellite of the European Space Agency (ESA) took off from the Spaceport launch site at the Kourou base in the French overseas territory of Guiana.

According to VNA correspondents in Europe, MetOp-SG A1 carries many modern devices, serving to collect essential data for weather forecasting, climate change monitoring and air pollution monitoring in Europe.

Arnaud Vajda, Chairman of the Management Board of the Belgian Science Policy Agency (Belspo), said that the country has actively contributed to the development of this satellite project.

Belspo is the national agency responsible for coordinating and managing Belgium's scientific and space research policies.

The successful launch of the MetOp-SG A1 satellite marks the second time in the history of the European space industry that two meteorological satellites have been put into orbit in the same year, after the MTG-S1 satellite launched in early July.

MetOp-SG A1 is one of six satellites in the second generation of the European meteorological satellite constellation in polar orbit, tasked with providing data over the next 20 years, contributing to improved weather forecasting accuracy and a better understanding of climate change.

Mr. Arnaud Vajda stressed that Europe is not only aware of the climate challenges but also directly taking action to respond. He said that it is necessary to ensure the quality and continuity of meteorological and climate data for decades to come, because these data are crucial for the safety and well-being of people and the future of the planet.

The MetOp-SG A1 satellite is equipped with a range of specialised instruments to measure various gases in the atmosphere. The data collected will be used by leading Belgian scientific institutions, including the Royal Meteorological Institute (IRM) and the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aerodynamics (IASB).

According to Mr. Vajda, Belgium's participation in this project continues to affirm the country's leading role in the international arena in the field of space technology.

Since 2012, ESA has launched nine meteorological satellites, bringing the total number of satellites to 20 compared to 11 satellites launched between 1977 and 2011.

The launch of MetOp-SG A1 is not only a technological step forward but also a long-term commitment of Europe to environmental protection and improving meteorological forecasting capacity in the context of increasingly serious climate change./.

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/chau-au-phong-ve-tinh-khi-tuong-moi-metop-sg-a1-post1055464.vnp