The Ariane 6 rocket successfully placed the next-generation weather satellite Metop-SGA1 into a sun-synchronous orbit from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana.

This was reported by the launch operator, ArianeSpace.

The launch occurred on August 12 at 21:37 local time.

Among the six instruments on board, one is dedicated to atmospheric monitoring as part of the European Union's Sentinel-5 program.

European Commissioner for Defense and Space, Andrius Kubilius, congratulated everyone involved in the project, stating that a new era in atmospheric observations has begun.

Arianespace CEO David Kawall emphasized that this success highlights Europe's commitment to ensuring autonomous and reliable access to space, as well as supporting ambitious environmental missions that will provide crucial data for weather and climate monitoring.

This marks the second commercial launch for the Ariane 6 rocket.

EUMETSAT Director General Phil Evans remarked that extreme weather conditions have cost Europe hundreds of billions of euros and thousands of lives over the past 40 years. The launch of Metop-SGA1 is a significant step forward in providing national meteorological services with clearer tools to save lives, protect property, and enhance resilience to the climate crisis.

Metop-SGA1 will transmit data on optical, infrared, and microwave observations, providing essential information for weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and a wide range of other services.

The satellite will carry out a new atmospheric monitoring mission as part of the EU's Copernicus program.

The spacecraft was built by Airbus Defence and Space under contract with the European Space Agency and will be operated throughout its lifetime by EUMETSAT, which will also distribute data from the satellite to users.