Ariane 6 Rocket Liftoff: MetOp-SG-A1/Sentinel-5 Earth Satellite | ESA

Ariane 6 Rocket Liftoff: MetOp-SG-A1/Sentinel-5 Earth Satellite | ESA

Europe’s first MetOp Second Generation, MetOp-SG-A1, weather satellite—hosting the Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission—has launched aboard an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The rocket lifted off on August 13, 2025, at 02:37 CEST (August 12 21:37 Kourou time).

MetOp-SG-A1 is the first in a series of three successive pairs of satellites. The mission helps to ensure the continued delivery of global observations from polar orbit for weather forecasting and climate analysis for the next  20 years plus. It also offers improved accuracy and resolution compared to the original MetOp mission—along with new measurement capabilities to expand its scientific reach.

Furthermore, this new weather satellite carries the Copernicus Sentinel-5 Mission to deliver daily global data on air pollutants and atmospheric trace gases as well as aerosols and ultraviolet radiation. The Sentinel-5 mission is the result of close cooperation between the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Commission and Eumetsat. It was developed under the responsibility of ESA, by a consortium led by Airbus Defence and Space in Ottobrunn, Germany.

Metop-SGA1 Weather Satellite:
https://www.eumetsat.int/metop-second-generation-a1-and-copernicus-sentinel-5

Copernicus Sentinel-5 Mission
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-5

Ariane 6 is Europe’s heavy launcher. It has three stages: two or four boosters, and a main and upper stage. For this flight, VA264, the rocket was used in its two-booster configuration.

Credit: ESA - S.Corvaja
Release Date: Aug. 13, 2025

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