A strategic launch in the face of climate urgency
“It is a remarkably exciting moment for us “Enthuses Phil Evans, Managing Director of Eumetsat, the organization responsible for exploiting Metop-SGA1. “”It is a masterpiece of European technology, but also a masterpiece of European collaboration “he continues. This satellite is the first of a new generation called upon to revolutionize European meteorology until the 2040s.
Because the context is alarming: “Europe heats up twice as fast as the world average. This makes it the continent that heats up the fastest “Recalls Phil Evans. “”In 2023, nearly 50,000 deaths linked to heat waves, and in 2022, more than 350,000 premature deaths due to air pollution. “ In this context, the weather can no longer be said to know how to dress the next day, it becomes a vital tool for prevention, alert and adaptation.
“We have really seen the sky fading. The stars disappear. In Belgium, on more than 90 % of the territory, we can no longer see the Milky Way”
Advanced instruments to decipher the atmosphere
Metop-SGA1 has six of the most advanced atmospheric observation instruments ever launched. One of them, Iasi-Nng (infrared atmospheric sounding interferomet New generation), developed by the CNES (National Center for Spatial Studies in France), is an improved version of the current global standard for temperature and humidity measurements. There will also be Metimage of the German aerospace agency which will provide observations of land radiation in the visible and infrared spectrum and the 3MI imageryman, which will provide images of atmospheric aerosols and clouds for climate monitoring, air quality forecasts and digital weather forecast.
But the most emblematic mission on board is undoubtedly Sentinel-5, an instrument of the Copernicus program of the European Commission. It will continuously analyze the composition of the atmosphere: methane, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, aerosols … “Sentinel-5 will provide essential information to improve air quality forecasts, which remains a major issue in Europe “underlines Phil Evans.
Towards more reliable forecasts
According to ESA, the European space agency, this new generation of satellites will significantly increase the quality of weather forecasts from 12 hours to 10 days in advance. The impact? A reduction in errors in forecast models, an improvement in “capacities”nowcasting“(very short term forecasts), and increased support for climate surveillance.
The previous Metop satellite had reduced forecast errors by 25 %. Phil Evans hopes to go even further: “This satellite will deliver a return on investment of 20 to 1, which is enormous. “ ESA specifies that economic profits for Europe could exceed 63 billion euros over the lifespan of the six satellites of the program.
A strong symbol of European spatial cooperation
“This satellite will be complementary not only instruments that will fly next year on Metop-SGB1, but also data from our geostationary satellites “adds Phil Evans. ESA, for its part, plays a role “key in development, supply, implementation and verification in orbit “ de Metop-SGA1, as recalled by his latest press release.
In summary, Metop-SGA1 is a satellite to better see, better understand and better predict an increasingly unstable world. “”We are at the dawn of a major turning point for the European meteorological and spatial community “concludes Phil Evans.
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