MetOp-SG-B scatterometer antenna during testing

MetOp Second Generation’s scatterometer antenna subsystem during testing at Airbus’ facilities in Madrid, Spain. The instrument underwent a testing campaign that lasted four months during which it was subjected to the extreme conditions that it will encounter during launch and in orbit. These tests included: antenna deployment, thermal cycling, mechanical vibrations and acoustic environment. The scatterometer with its major antenna subsystem is one of five instruments that the new generation of MetOp-SG-B satellites will carry. It will used to monitor ocean winds and continental ice sheets, and to check land-surface soil moisture – a key driver of water and heat fluxes between the ground and the atmosphere. It is expected to cover 99% of Earth's surface within a two-day period and with a resolution of 25 km.

This next generation, following on from the first MetOp series, will secure the continuation of meteorological observations from the polar orbit in the 2023–43 timeframe. It will bring observations to a new standard, through the suite of innovative European instruments flown on the Metop-SG satellites. The MetOp-SG-A and MetOp-SG-B satellites will operate in three successive pairs.