N° 30–2014: Call for Media: Signing of MetOp-SG industrial contract
8 October 2014
Members of the media are invited to ESA headquarters in Paris, France, on 16 October at 16:30 CEST to witness the signing of the industrial contract for the MetOp Second Generation (MetOp-SG) series of meteorological satellites with Airbus Defence and Space.
MetOp-SG is a continuation of the successful MetOp first generation series of satellites, which currently provide critical meteorological observations from polar orbit.
MetOp-SG consists of two, parallel series of satellites (A and B), with three in each series. The A series carries atmospheric sounders and optical/infrared imagers, while the B series focuses on microwaves.
The contracts for the Prime Contractor roles have been awarded to Airbus Defence and Space in France for Satellite A and Airbus Defence and Space in Germany for Satellite B.
MetOp-SG is a cooperative undertaking between ESA and EUMETSAT, the European Organisation for the Exploration of Meteorological Satellites. The programme offers enhanced continuity of the current series, an important source for numerical weather prediction.
Participants
Geneviève Fioraso, French Minister for Higher Education and Research
Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA Director General
Alain Ratier, EUMETSAT Director General
Volker Liebig, ESA Director of Earth Observation Programmes
François Auque, Head of Space Systems, Airbus Defence and Space
Eric Béranger, Head of Space Systems Programmes at Airbus Defence and Space
Media accreditation
Media interested in joining the event should request access information via email to ESA’s Media Relations Office at: media@esa.int by 15 October at the latest.
About the European Space Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’ s gateway to space.
ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
ESA has 20 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, of whom 18 are Member States of the EU.
ESA has Cooperation Agreements with eight other Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.
ESA is also working with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes.
By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country.
ESA develops the launchers, spacecraft and ground facilities needed to keep Europe at the forefront of global space activities.
Today, it launches satellites for Earth observation, navigation, telecom-munications and astronomy, sends probes to the far reaches of the Solar System and cooperates in the human exploration of space.
Learn more at www.esa.int