Astrium-built MetOp satellite successfully launched
* First European weather satellite to operate from low Earth orbit
Baikonur, Kazakhstan, 19 October 2006
Astrium’s MetOp satellite has been successfully launched by Starsem on 19 October, at 10:28 pm, Baikonur time (4:28 pm UTC), using a Soyuz rocket. Astrium is the satellite prime contractor and responsible for three of the 11 instruments on board the spacecraft. MetOp has reached low Earth orbit, becoming Europe’s first polar-orbiting satellite dedicated to operational meteorology. It represents Europe’s contribution to a new co-operative venture with the United States, providing data that will be used to monitor our climate and improve weather forecasting.
Contacts for the media
Rémi Roland
EADS SPACE (FR)
Tel.: +33 (0)1 42 24 27 34
Frédéric-Pierre Isoz
EADS SPACE (FR)
Tel.: +33 (0) 1 42 24 28 77
Jeremy Close
EADS SPACE (UK)
Tel.: +44 (0)1438 77 38 72
Mathias Pikelj
EADS SPACE (GER)
Tel.: +49 (0)7545 8 91 23
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