ESA Moves MetOp-SG-B1 Weather Satellite to Cleanroom Ahead of Late 2026 Launch
The European Space Agency (ESA) announced that engineers have moved the MetOp Second Generation-B1 (MetOp-SG-B1) weather satellite into a cleanroom in Kourou, French Guiana, to begin final launch preparations. Development of the satellite took more than 12 years. It traveled from Bordeaux, France, aboard the sail-assisted transport ship Canopée on 6 October and arrived at Europe’s Spaceport on 16 October. The satellite is scheduled to launch on an Ariane 6 rocket near the end of 2026. Once operational, it will work alongside its sister satellite, MetOp-SG-A1, which went into orbit in August 2025. Everyday readers rely on data from these missions for daily weather forecasts and long-term climate tracking. MetOp-SG-B1 carries instruments that measure atmospheric temperature, clouds, precipitation, and winds. The entire mission will use three successive pairs of satellites to maintain a steady flow of weather and environmental data for over 20 years.
What was announced
ESA reported that the MetOp-SG-B1 satellite has been unboxed in a cleanroom at Europe’s Spaceport following a brief period in storage. Storage kept the craft at 22°C in a dry, nitrogen-filled container to keep its hardware clean. The satellite spent over 12 years in development before shipping from Bordeaux, France, on 6 October aboard the vessel Canopée. It reached Kourou on 16 October.
Engineers are starting final checks. They will switch on the satellite, run test routines, fill its fuel tanks, and seal it inside the Ariane 6 fairing before moving it to the launch pad. ESA targets liftoff towards the end of the year. Enrico Corpaccioli, an engineer at ESA, stated that switching on the satellite is the next key step toward launch.
What it means
When in orbit, MetOp-SG-B1 will pair with MetOp-SG-A1, which launched in August 2025. Together, the two satellites carry complementary instruments designed to gather atmospheric details, including wind, cloud cover, temperature, and rain.
These measurements feed directly into weather forecasting systems and climate research. To keep these environmental measurements continuous, ESA planned the MetOp-SG mission around three consecutive pairs of satellites. This setup aims to provide an uninterrupted stream of meteorological data over a period exceeding 20 years.
What the announcement does not tell us
The announcement does not state the exact calendar date or time for the Ariane 6 launch. It only says the launch is planned towards the end of the year.
ESA also does not detail the total financial cost of building and launching MetOp-SG-B1. The text mentions that the transport ship Canopée uses sails to cut carbon dioxide emissions and fuel use, but it does not specify how much fuel or emissions were saved. Finally, the update does not explain what specific tests the satellite must pass during its final cleanroom checks.
How this was written
This analysis was written with AI from the official announcement below, using only facts that announcement states. The quoted wording is ESA Space News’s own. Always check the original before acting on anything here.
Following a short period in storage after arriving at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, the MetOp Second Generation-B1 satellite has been transferred to a cleanroom and removed from its transport container. The team is now preparing to reactivate this ‘sleeping beauty, and begin the final checks and preparations ahead of its launch, planned towards the end of the year.
Opens www.esa.int
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