MetOp-A - Satellite Information

Designation

Spacetrack catalog number	29499
COSPAR ID	2006-044-A
Name in Spacetrack catalog	METOP-A

Satellite Details

Orbit	819 x 822 km, 98.7°
Category	[satcat.Meteorological]
Country/organitisation of origin	EUMETSAT
Mass	4,093 kg
Intrinsic brightness (Mag)	4.7 (at 1000km distance, 50% illuminated)
Maximum brightness (Mag)	3.8 (at perigee, 100% illuminated)

Launch

Date (UTC)	19 October 2006 16:28
Launch site	Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launch vehicle	Soyuz-2-1A

Description

The first satellite of the EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS). The EPS is Europe’s first polar orbiting operational meteorological satellite system, and it is the European contribution to the Initial Joint Polar-Orbiting Operational Satellite System (IJPS). In this joint European-US polar satellite system, EUMETSAT will have the operational responsibility for the "morning orbit" with the MetOp satellites.

Further information

ESA