MetOp-SG is the follow-on to the current, first generation series of MetOp satellites, which is now established as a cornerstone of the global network of meteorological satellites. MetOp-SG is required to ensure the continuity of these essential meteorological observations, improve the accuracy / resolution of the measurements, and also to add new measurements / missions.

The overall MetOp-SG Space Segment architecture consists of two series of satellites (Satellite A and Satellite B), each carrying different suites of instruments and operating in a LEO polar orbit identical to that of MetOp. The planned launches of the first of each series of satellites are scheduled in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

The MetOp-SG Programme is being implemented in collaboration with EUMETSAT. ESA develops the prototype MetOp-SG satellites A and B (including associated instruments) and procures, on behalf of EUMETSAT, the recurrent satellites (and associated instruments). EUMETSAT is responsible for the overall mission, funds the recurrent satellites, develops the ground segment, procures the launch and LEOP services and performs the satellites operations as part of its EPS-SG Programme.

The ESA MetOp Second Generation (MetOp-SG) Programme was approved at the ESA Council Meeting at Ministerial level in Naples in November 2012. The EUMETSAT Polar System – Second Generation (EPS-SG) Programme was fully approved on 24 June 2015.

The Phase C/D was kicked-off in November 2015 with Airbus Defence and Space SAS, France as Prime contractor for the Satellite A series, and with Airbus Space and Defence GmbH, Germany as Prime contractor for the Satellite B series. The Satellite A CDR was passed in 2018 and the Satellite B CDR in 2019. The Satellite A QR was passed in July 2021 and the Satellite B QR is planned for May 2022.

The scope of this paper is to provide an up-to-date overview of the MetOp-SG Programme development status, including the description of the Space Segment architecture, satellites configuration and key features and characteristics, orbit and space to ground communications link.

This paper also provides the up-to-date status of the Satellites PFM A and B AIT campaigns that were initiated in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

The MetOp-SG instruments status are described in separate papers.

METimage is a cross-purpose, medium resolution, multi-spectral optical imaging radiometer for meteorological applications onboard the MetOp-SG satellites, fulfilling the VII mission of the EPS-SG programme. The primary objective of the VII mission is to provide high quality imagery data for global and regional weather forecast and climate monitoring.
METimage measures the solar backscattered radiation and thermal radiance emitted by the Earth in 20 spectral bands from 443 nm to 13.345 µm.
We provide an overview over the instrument design and the main subsystems consisting of the calibration assemblies, the scan and de-rotation assemblies, the telescope, and the cryogenic subsystem. The latter includes the assemblies for spectral band and channel separation as well as the three focal plane assemblies.
We discuss the main design drivers and present the expected performance.

The Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer New Generation (IASI-NG) is a key payload element of the second generation of European meteorological polar-orbit satellites (METOP SG) dedicated to operational meteorology, oceanography, atmospheric chemistry, and climate monitoring.
CNES (Centre National d ’Etudes Spatiales) is in charge of IASI-NG programme based on an instrument concept proposed and developed by Airbus Defence and Space. It will continue and improve the IASI mission in the next decades (2020-2040) in the field of operational meteorology, climate monitoring, and characterization of atmospheric composition related to climate, atmospheric chemistry and environment. The performance objective is mainly a spectral resolution and a radiometric error divided by two compared with the IASI first generation ones.
The measurement technique is based on wide field Fourier Transform Spectrometer (operating in the 3.5 - 15.5 µm spectral range) based on an innovative Mertz compensated interferometer to manage the so-called self-apodization effect and the associated spectral resolution degradation.
Environment qualification and performance tests on flight sub-systems has been completed successfully. This includes the performance vacuum tests on the complete Focal Plane and Cooler Assembly and the performance vacuum tests on the assembly made of the aligned flight Interferometer with its Laser Metrology. The obtained results show the complete end to end processing of the acquired interferograms taking into account all metrology data.
An exhaustive microvibration campaign has also been performed on EM Instrument and allowed to have a fine assessment of the instrument sensitivity and to correct unforeseen parasitic effects. Conducted EMC qualification and first functional verifications with representative software were also done on EM Instrument.
The flight model Instrument is now fully integrated and aligned and is currently under mechanical qualification. The final thermal vacuum test will start the first trimester of 2022 after functional test verification.
We present here the synthesis of the main milestone achieved on EM Instrument and flight sub-systems, as well as the progress and available results on complete flight model Instrument.

Sentinel-5 is a hyperspectral imaging instrument that will be embarked on the MetOp Second Generation satellites (MetOp-SG) with the fundamental objective of monitoring atmospheric composition from low Earth orbit. The instrument consists of five imaging spectrometers that sense the solar spectral radiance backscattered by the earth atmosphere in eight defined spectral bands in the range from UV (270nm) to SWIR (2385nm). Processing of Sentinel-5 data will allow obtaining the distribution of important atmospheric constituents such as ozone, methane, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, etc. on a global daily basis and at finer spatial resolution than its predecessor, the GOME-2 instrument embarked on the first generation of MetOp satellites. Sentinel-5 is part of the Space Component of the Copernicus program, a joint initiative by ESA, EUMETSAT and the European Commission. This paper presents an overall description of the Sentinel-5 instrument, its calibration and data processing.

The EUMETSAT Polar System – Second Generation (EPS-SG) will further improve observational inputs to Numerical Weather Prediction models in continuation and enhancement of the EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS) first generation service that have been exploited by EUMETSAT since 2006. Starting in 2024/2025, the EPS-SG System will deploy three successive pairs of Metop-SG A and Metop-SG B satellites equipped with complementary instruments to provide 21 years of service. The satellites will fly together on the same mid-morning polar orbit as the current Metop satellites in-orbit and will expand by 20+ years the climate data records initiated with EPS. Metop-SG A is an atmosphere sounding and imaging satellite equipped with a suite of microwave and hyperspectral infrared instruments (MWS and IASI-NG) and two advanced optical imagers (METimage and 3MI). Metop-SG A also carries the Copernicus Sentinel-5 spectrometer for measurements of trace gases. Metop-SG B is a microwave imaging satellite delivering radar observations of ocean surface wind and soil moisture (SCA) and passive microwave observations of precipitation and ice clouds (MWI and ICI). Metop-SG B also carries a receiver supporting the ARGOS localisation and data collection mission. Both satellites carry a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio-occultation instrument (RO) for limb sounding of temperature and humidity at high vertical resolution. The EPS-SG system is developed in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA), Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR). EUMETSAT procures all launch services, develops the full ground infrastructure and integrates and validates the full system. EUMETSAT then operates and exploits the system and develops additional products using new algorithms. EPS-SG is Europe’s contribution to the Joint Polar System (JPS) shared with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of United States. The presentation will provide a short overview of the programme, its achievements, current status and outlook.