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Astrium-built METOP satellite for EUMETSAT successfully deployed in orbit

Darmstadt, 23 October 2006

Following its launch on 19 October 2006 by a STARSEM Soyuz rocket, EUMETSAT’s MetOp satellite has reached polar orbit. Astrium’s satellites business unit is prime contractor for the satellite.

Astrium and ESA teams at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, have proceeded to the check-out of the spacecraft and confirm that all systems are operating nominally. A series of operations have been successfully completed since the launch.

The solar array has been deployed and oriented to face the sun, before the satellite platform entered its nominal attitude control mode. Payload operations, including the deployment of five antennas, took place over two days. MetOp operations were consequently transferred on Sunday 22 to the EUMETSAT team in Darmstadt, which is now in charge of the payload instruments switch-on and of the system validation, before starting the operational phase.

Astrium Satellites, a business unit of Astrium, is Europe’s leading satellite system specialist. Its activities cover complete civil and military telecommunications and Earth observation systems, science and navigation programmes, and all spacecraft avionics and equipment.

Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems. In 2005, Astrium had a turnover of €2.7 billion and 11,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands.

EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2005, EADS generated revenues of €34.2 billion and employed a workforce of more than 113,000.

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