The Metop Satellite Metop Peter G
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Edwards 8/8/06 2:51 PM Page 8 The MetOp Satellite MetOp Peter G. Edwards, Bruno Berruti, Paul Blythe, Joerg Callies, Stefane Carlier, Cees Fransen, Rainer Krutsch, Alain-Robert Lefebvre, Marc Loiselet & Nico Stricker Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes, ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands etOp-A is Europe's first polar-orbiting satellite dedicated to operational M meteorology. With its array of advanced instruments, it will provide data of unprecedented accuracy and resolution on temperature and humidity, wind speed and direction over the ocean, and ozone and other trace gases, making a huge contribution to global weather forecasting and climate monitoring. In addition, MetOp-A will observe land and ocean surfaces and its search-and- rescue service will help ships and aircraft in distress. Introduction MetOp-A is Europe’s first satellite dedicated to operational meteorology from polar orbit. It will balance the long-standing service provided by the Weather US since the first Tiros satellite in 1960. The US has provided the data from this evolving series free of charge to the Information world’s meteorological community. As early as 1967, Europe looked at contributing to this effort, but selected from Polar the geostationary satellite mission as the higher priority. This led to the develop- ment of the Meteosat series, which has Orbit been remarkably successful since 1977. esa bulletin 127 - august 2006 9 Edwards 8/8/06 2:51 PM Page 8 The MetOp Satellite MetOp Peter G. Edwards, Bruno Berruti, Paul Blythe, Joerg Callies, Stefane Carlier, Cees Fransen, Rainer Krutsch, Alain-Robert Lefebvre, Marc Loiselet & Nico Stricker Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes, ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands etOp-A is Europe's first polar-orbiting satellite dedicated to operational M meteorology. With its array of advanced instruments, it will provide data of unprecedented accuracy and resolution on temperature and humidity, wind speed and direction over the ocean, and ozone and other trace gases, making a huge contribution to global weather forecasting and climate monitoring. In addition, MetOp-A will observe land and ocean surfaces and its search-and- rescue service will help ships and aircraft in distress. Introduction MetOp-A is Europe’s first satellite dedicated to operational meteorology from polar orbit. It will balance the long-standing service provided by the Weather US since the first Tiros satellite in 1960. The US has provided the data from this evolving series free of charge to the Information world’s meteorological community. As early as 1967, Europe looked at contributing to this effort, but selected from Polar the geostationary satellite mission as the higher priority. This led to the develop- ment of the Meteosat series, which has Orbit been remarkably successful since 1977. esa bulletin 127 - august 2006 9 Edwards 8/8/06 2:51 PM Page 10 Earth Observation MetOp AVHRR GRAS Antenna AMSU-A1 IASI AMSU-A2 HIRS GOME-2 MHS ASCAT Antenna Farm Comparison of the schedule planned in 1998 (lighter colours) with the achieved schedule (solid colours). CDR: Critical Design Review. FAR: Flight Acceptance Review. PDR: Preliminary Design Review. QR: The MetOp Payload 23–90 GHz microwave sounder models. The AVHRR imager 25 x 25 km grid resolution. In Qualification Review to produce atmospheric supports this sounding mission addition, high-resolution wind The three satellites carry identical temperature profiles. It consists of for cloud detection. In addition to information can be generated payloads except that HIRS and two separate sounders (AMSU-A1 these operational sounding and over a 12.5 x 12.5 km grid. In 1992 plans were formulated to – a low-rate digital direct broadcast France, Germany, The Netherlands, S&R are not aboard MetOp-3. and AMSU-A2) to cover the imaging instruments, MetOp ASCAT can measure sea-ice type extend Europe’s contribution by using VHF service to replace the analogue Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, frequency range. Microwave carries the new-generation IASI and boundaries. Land surface AVHRR Advanced Very High measurements have the significant Infrared Atmospheric Sounding applications are an emerging using satellites in polar orbit. ESA’s Automatic Picture Transmission United Kingdom) and covering the Resolution Radiometer: a advantage of being much less Interferometer, a nadir-viewing area and will provide global soil MetOp-1 programme was approved in system, employing data-compression design and development of the first 6-channel visible/infrared affected by the presence of clouds Michelson interferometer moisture data for numerical 1998, followed shortly after by approval to ensure high-quality images; satellite as the space segment for EPS. imager with a pixel size of 1 km than infrared soundings. The operating at 3.6–15.5 micron. weather prediction. of the Eumetsat Polar System (EPS). – continuous onboard recording of the The EPS Programme is funding the square at nadir. Its data are AMSU-A pixel diameter is 48 km. used, inter alia, to identify The instrument is also flying on GOME-2 Global Ozone The GRAS Global navigation Eumetsat – the European Organisation global dataset to be dumped every building of two recurrent satellites, the clouds, generate cloud NOAA’s satellites. Monitoring Experiment: an satellite system Receiver for for the Exploitation of Meteorological orbit at a high-latitude ground station, launch of all three satellites, and the parameters, measure sea-surface improved version of the GOME Atmospheric Sounding uses Satellite – is charged with operating the with the ground system providing the design and construction of a ground temperature and derive MHS Microwave Humidity instrument on ERS-2. It monitors signals from the GPS system once the satellites are developed global processed data within 2.25 hr of segment to operate the satellites and vegetation conditions. AVHRR Sounder: a 5-channel, nadir- the ozone concentration and the constellation of satellites slicing has been the primary low-orbit viewing 90–190 GHz microwave components involved in ozone through the atmosphere to and launched by ESA. The joint system the measurements being made; process, archive and distribute the data imager for meteorology for more sounder provides atmospheric chemistry in the atmosphere. It produce atmospheric is the basis for an improved being – high pointing accuracy and orbital collected. EPS is designed for a total than 20 years, and also flies on humidity profiles. It is a measures the backscattered temperature and humidity offered to the world’s meteorological stability to ensure that data can be operational lifetime of 14 years. The NOAA’s satellites. technological advance on the ultraviolet-visible sunlight in four profiles, complementing the data organisations. It also satisfies specific geo-located without reference to EPS Programme is also making a previous-generation AMSU-B on bands between 240 nm and from the nadir-viewing scanning HIRS High-resolution Infra-Red the NOAA-K/L/M satellite 790 nm, at a spectral resolution sounding instruments. needs of the European and US ground-control points in imagery; financial and material contribution to Radiation Sounder: a 19-channel series. Nadir pixel size is about of 0.25–0.5 nm. It also monitors meteorological services. – selective encryption to meet the the ESA MetOp-1 Programme, infrared sounder measures 15 km. It is also carried by the the concentrations of trace gases Other payloads include: the SEM The notable improvements required commercial and data-denial needs of providing 36% of the € 746 million cost atmospheric temperature and NOAA-N and N’ satellites. such as bromine oxide, nitrogen Space Environment Monitor, from MetOp include: Eumetsat and the US Government, (current conditions). humidity profiles, with one visible dioxide and sulphur dioxide. which measures the charged channel for cloud identification. HIRS, AMSU-A and MHS particle environment; the A-DCS respectively. Accordingly, the ESA/Eumetsat Single Pixel diameter is about 10 km at together constitute the ATOVS ASCAT Advanced SCATterometer: Advanced Data Collection – new instruments (ASCAT, IASI, Space Segment Team was established to nadir. HIRS is also flying on Advanced TIROS Operational a C-band (5.3 GHz) dual-swath System, which collects data from GOME-2, GRAS) in addition to the Programme manage MetOp development via a joint NOAA’s satellites. Vertical Sounder suite, which (2 x 550 km) radar providing various meteorological and other existing suite on the NOAA satellites The ESA MetOp-1 Programme is an contract with the industrial Prime provide the operational sounding ocean wind speed and direction. platforms; and a S&R Search & AMSU-A Advanced Microwave data from low orbit for today’s It is an augmented version of the Rescue package for locating of the US National Oceanic & optional programme of the Agency, Contractor (EADS-Astrium, Toulouse, Sounding Unit: a 15-channel numerical weather prediction radar on ERS-1/2, with a distress beacons. Atmospheric Administration (AVHRR, subscribed to by 12 member states F). While this arrangement inevitably HIRS, AMSU-A1/A2, SEM); (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, led to increased bureaucracy, and could 10 esa bulletin 127 - august 2006 www.esa.int www.esa.int esa bulletin 127 - august 2006 11 Edwards 8/8/06 2:51 PM Page 10 Earth Observation MetOp AVHRR GRAS Antenna AMSU-A1 IASI AMSU-A2 HIRS GOME-2 MHS ASCAT Antenna Farm Comparison of the schedule planned in 1998 (lighter colours) with the achieved schedule (solid colours). CDR: Critical Design Review. FAR: Flight Acceptance Review. PDR: Preliminary Design Review. QR: The MetOp Payload 23–90 GHz microwave sounder models. The AVHRR imager 25 x 25 km grid resolution. In Qualification Review to produce atmospheric supports this sounding mission addition, high-resolution wind The three satellites carry identical temperature profiles. It consists of for cloud detection. In addition to information can be generated payloads except that HIRS and two separate sounders (AMSU-A1 these operational sounding and over a 12.5 x 12.5 km grid.