MetOp-SG instrument package

The Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer New Generation (IASI-NG) provides profiles of temperature and humidity, and ozone and various trace gases. As its name suggests, it builds on the IASI instrument on the first generation of MetOp satellites. This new-generation instrument doubles the spectral sampling and spectral resolution compared to its predecessor and provide around 75% more information on temperature profiles, 30% more data on water vapour profiles, and observes more trace gases.

It is provided by the French Space Agency, CNES, via Eumetsat. IASI-NG is carried on the MetOp-SG A-type satellites.

The Microwave Sounder (MWS) provides temperature and humidity profiles. It combines the two original MetOp’s Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A1 and AMSU-A2) and Microwave Humidity Sound (MHS) into a single antenna instrument with new channels for temperature, humidity sounding and ice-cloud detection. The horizontal resolution of the temperature sounding channels has improved from around 48 km to 20 km at nadir.

It is provided by ESA. MWS is carried on the MetOp-SG A-type satellites.

The Meteorological Imager (METimage) provides information on clouds, land-surface properties, sea, ice and land-surface temperatures. Building on MetOp’s Advanced Very High-Resolution Radiometer, it increases the number of spectral bands from five to twenty and boasts enhanced radiometric and spatial resolution to ensure far more geophysical can be measured with higher accuracy.

It is provided by the German Aerospace Center, DLR, via Eumetsat. METimage is carried on the MetOp-SG A-type satellites.

The Radio Occultation (RO) sounder provides atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles of the troposphere and ionosphere. It builds on the GNSS Receiver for Atmospheric Sounding, (GRAS on MetOp first generation) tripling the number of occultation measurements to more than 1600 per day per satellite. The extension of vertical coverage offers more complete atmosphere monitoring and contributes to space weather applications.

It is provided by ESA. RO is carried on both the MetOp-SG A-type and B-type satellites.

The Multiviewing, Multichannel, Multipolarisation Imager (3MI) is a completely new instrument and provides information on atmospheric aerosols. Measuring aerosols in 12 spectral channels in the visible and shortwave infrared spectrums and viewing the same target area from 14 angles, 3MI is the first dedicated multiangle polarimetric instrument on an operational mission.

It is provided by ESA. 3MI is carried on the MetOp-SG A-type satellites.

The Copernicus Sentinel-5 ultra-violet, visible, near-infrared shortwave spectrometer monitors various trace gases for air-quality monitoring for the EC’s atmosphere services. It builds on the Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor mission by providing additional spectral bands.

It is provided by the European Commission Copernicus Programme to ESA. Sentinel-5 is carried on the MetOp-SG A-type satellites.

The Scatterometer (SCA) provides ocean-surface wind vectors and measurements of land-surface soil moisture. Building on MetOp’s Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT), it offers better coverage owing to its wider swath, and higher spatial resolution. The addition of cross-polarisation channels improves its capability to retrieve higher wind speeds.

It is provided by ESA. SCA is carried on the MetOp-SG B-type satellites.

The Microwave Imager (MWI) provides information to monitor precipitation and sea-ice extent. It is a new instrument and has 18 spectral microwave channels ranging from 18.7 to 183 GHz which enables comprehensive observations of precipitation and clouds.

It is provided by ESA. MWI is carried on the MetOp-SG B-type satellites.

The Ice Cloud Imager (ICI) measures cloud-ice water path, properties and altitude. It is a new microwave imager that takes measurements from millimetre to submillimetre wavelengths, spanning 183 to 664 GHz to understand ice-cloud microphysics.

It is provided by ESA. ICI is carried on the MetOp-SG B-type satellites.

The Argos-4 Advanced Data Collection System is not an Earth observation instrument but instead collects and transmits observations and data from the surface, buoys, ships, balloons and from airborne data collection platforms.

It is provided by CNES via Eumetsat. Argos-4 is carried on the MetOp-SG B-type satellites.

As noted above, ESA is responsible for the design and development of six instruments: the MWS, RO, 3MI, SCA, MWI and ICI. The Sentinel-5 instrument is also developed by ESA as part of Copernicus, the Earth observation component of the European Union’s space programme.

The other instruments are provided through Eumetsat under cooperation agreements with its partners DLR and CNES.