WMO OSCAR | Satellite: Metop-B

Satellite: Metop-B

Satellite details

Acronym	Metop-B
Full name	Meteorological operational satellite - B
WIGOS Station Identifier	---
Satellite Description	2nd flight unit of the EPS programme. Main mission: operational meteorology. Substantial contribution to ocean and ice monitoring, climate monitoring, atmospheric chemistry, and space weather.
Mass at launch	4087 kg	Dry mass	3771 kg
Power	2210 W
Data access link	https://navigator.eumetsat.int/search?query=metop-b%20level-1&s=s
Data access information	Direct Broadcast (AHRPT): Real-time availability of AMSU-A, ASCAT. AVHRR, GOME-2, GRAS, HIRS/4, IASI, MHS, DCP messages and SEM/2 (MEDEP + TED). LRPT not available. Near-real-time availability of extended-area coverage data by EARS. Near-real time availability of Level 1 data by EUMETCast. Alert messages of S&RSAT to LUT in real time The latency of global data is reduced by the use of the Antarctic Data Acquisition station (ADA) at McMurdo
Orbit	Sunsynchronous orbit	Altitude	830 km
ECT	09:31 desc

Space agency	EUMETSAT , ESA
Status	Operational
Details on Status (as available)	Replacing MetOp-A for primary operations on 24 April 2013. Dissemination via EUMETCast.
Launch	17 Sep 2012	EOL	≥2027
Last update:	2025-01-28

Associated satellite programme and related satellites

Note: red tag: no longer operational , green tag: operational , blue tag : future

EUMETSAT Polar System
- Metop-A (2006 - 2021)
- Metop-B (2012 - 2027)
- Metop-C (2018 - 2027)

Satellite Payload

All known Instruments flying on Metop-B

Acronym	Full name
A-DCS	Advanced Data Collection System (also called "Argos-3")
AMSU-A	Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit - A
ASCAT	Advanced Scatterometer
AVHRR/3	Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer / 3
GOME-2	Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment - 2
GRAS	GNSS Receiver for Atmospheric Sounding
HIRS/4	High-resolution Infra Red Sounder / 4
IASI	Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer
MHS	Microwave Humidity Sounding
S&RSAT	Search & Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking System
SEM/TED	SEM / Total Energy Detector
SEM/MEPED	SEM / Medium energy proton detector

Show instrument status and calibration

Satellite payload

All known instruments flying on Metop-B

Instrument	Full name	Start date	EOL date	Status	NRT data	Data latency (mins)	Instrument calibration	Comments
A-DCS	Advanced Data Collection System (also called "Argos-3")	Jan 2013	≥2027 *	Degraded Has been degraded	Yes		user.eumetsat.int	Degradation of received messages due to hardware (only ARGOS-2 mission supported), since September 2012.
AMSU-A	Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit - A	Jan 2013	≥2027 *	Degraded Has been degraded	Yes	63	user.eumetsat.int	Ch 50.3 GHz (H3) and Ch 54.4 Ghz (H6) out of spec, H7 frequent brief spikes (2016-2018), Ch 89 GHz (H15) failed
ASCAT	Advanced Scatterometer	Jan 2013	≥2027 *	Active	Yes	88	user.eumetsat.int
AVHRR/3	Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer / 3	Jan 2013	≥2027 *	Active Has been degraded	Yes		user.eumetsat.int	Near-visible channels 1, 2, 3A degraded since July 2023 (all now out of SNR spec)
GOME-2	Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment - 2	Jan 2013	≥2027 *	Active	Yes		user.eumetsat.int
GRAS	GNSS Receiver for Atmospheric Sounding	Jan 2013	≥2027 *	Active	Yes	83	user.eumetsat.int
HIRS/4	High-resolution Infra Red Sounder / 4	Jan 2013	17 Mar 2023	Inactive Has been degraded	No		user.eumetsat.int	HIRS/4 channels 13.97, 13.64 and 12.47 μm out of specs from August 2013. Filter Wheel stalled on 27 May 2020. Filter wheel rotating again; nominal L1 data dissemination recommenced on 15 Sep 2022. Filter wheel stalled on 17 Mar 23 and recovery unsuccessful.
IASI	Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer	Jan 2013	≥2027 *	Active	Yes	73	user.eumetsat.int
MHS	Microwave Humidity Sounding	Jan 2013	≥2027 *	Active	Yes	63	user.eumetsat.int
S&RSAT	Search & Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking System	Jan 2013	≥2027 *	Degraded	Yes		user.eumetsat.int	Degradation of received messages due to hardware since September 2012,
SEM/TED	SEM / Total Energy Detector	Jan 2013	≥2027 *	Active	Yes		user.eumetsat.int
SEM/MEPED	SEM / Medium energy proton detector	Jan 2013	≥2027 *	Active	Yes		user.eumetsat.int

* The information in this field is estimated or assumed

Satellite frequencies for Earth Observation, data transfer and platform communications and control

Frequencies for satellite management

Service	Direction	Frequency (MHz)	Emission designator	Bandwidth (kHz)	Polarisation	D/A	Data rate (kbps) or Baseband (kHz)	Comments
S & RSAT	E-S	406.05 MHz	100KG1D	100 kHz	linear	D	2.4 kbps	Distress messages - beacon bandwidth: 3 kHz
S & RSAT	S-E	1544.5 MHz	200KG1D	200 kHz	linear	D	2.4 kbps	Distress messages to LUT
TC & Ranging	E-S	2053.4583 MHz	1M50G1D	1500 kHz	RHCP	D	2 kbps	Telecommand and ranging
TM	S-E	2230 MHz	2M00G1D	2000 kHz	RHCP	D	4.096 kbps	Telemetry

Earth observation MW frequencies

Service	Sensing mode	Frequency (GHz)	Bandwidth (MHz)	Polarisation	Comments
AMSU-A	passive	23.8 GHz	270 MHz	V	Water vapour channel
AMSU-A	passive	31.4 GHz	180 MHz	V	Window channel
AMSU-A	passive	50.12 GHz - 57.62 GHz	-	H or V	Oxygen band, 12 channels
AMSU-A	passive	89 GHz	6000 MHz	V	Window channel
MHS	passive	89 GHz	2800 MHz	V	Window channel
MHS	passive	157 GHz	2800 MHz	V	Weak water vapour channel
MHS	passive	179.31 GHz - 191.31 GHz	-	H or V	Water vapour band, 3 channels
ASCAT	active	5.255 GHz	1 MHz	-	C-band scatterometer

Frequencies for scientific data acquisition and communication services at ground stations

Service	Direction	Frequency (MHz)	Bandwidth (kHz)	Polarisation	D/A	Data rate (kbps) or Baseband (kHz)	Comments
GDS	S-E	7800 MHz	63000 kHz	RHCP	D	70000 kbps	Raw data
AHRPT	S-E	1701.3 MHz	4500 kHz	RHCP	D	3500 kbps	High resolution data
AHRPT	S-E	1707 MHz	4500 kHz	RHCP	D	3500 kbps	High resolution data - backup
LRPT	S-E	137.1 MHz	150 kHz	RHCP	D	72 kbps	Selected data
LRPT	S-E	137.9125 MHz	150 kHz	RHCP	D	72 kbps	Selected data - backup
ADCS	E-S	401.595 MHz	10 kHz	RHCP	D	0.4/4.8 kbps	DCP reports
ADCS	S-E	465.9875 MHz	1 kHz	RHCP	D	0.2/0.4 kbps	DCP configuration control