EUMETSAT Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
European Organisation
for the Exploitation of
Meteorological Satellites
Logo since 2020
Headquarters
Member states Cooperating states
Formation	1986
Headquarters	Darmstadt, Germany
Membership	30 member states
Official language	English, German and French

The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) is a special group made up of 30 European countries. They work together to use satellites for watching the weather.

EUMETSAT's main job is to set up and run European weather satellites. They launch these satellites and keep them working. They also send the satellite data to people who need it. This helps us understand the climate and spot big global climate changes.

EUMETSAT works with other countries that have space programs. Together, they create a worldwide system for watching the weather from space.

Satellite information is super important for predicting the weather with computers. It also helps weather experts see dangerous weather coming. Weather satellites are also becoming more important for collecting long-term information. This data helps scientists study how our climate is changing.

EUMETSAT is not part of the European Union. But most of its members are EU countries. In 2012, EUMETSAT joined the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters. This means they share their satellite information to help people around the world during big disasters.

Who Are EUMETSAT's Members?
How Do Satellites Help Us?
- High-Up Satellites: Geostationary
- Low-Down Satellites: Polar-Orbiting
  - EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS)
    - What Tools Are on Metop?
  - Jason and Sentinel-6 Satellites
Images for kids
See also

Who Are EUMETSAT's Members?

EUMETSAT has 30 member countries and some cooperating countries. Member countries pay money based on how rich their country is. Cooperating countries pay less. The agreement to create EUMETSAT was signed in 1983. It officially started on 19 June 1986.

Some of the member countries include:

How Do Satellites Help Us?

EUMETSAT uses two main types of satellites:

Geostationary satellites: These satellites stay in the same spot above Earth. They give a constant view of a large part of the Earth.
Polar-orbiting satellites: These satellites fly much closer to Earth. They gather very detailed information about the air's temperature and moisture. They cover the whole globe, but not as often.

High-Up Satellites: Geostationary

EUMETSAT uses the Meteosat satellites for their geostationary observations. These satellites take pictures of the whole Earth and provide data for weather forecasts.

The first Meteosat satellite was launched in 1977. It gave good, steady observations to many users. People wanted even more frequent and detailed data. So, the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) was created. It was much better at quickly spotting and predicting thunderstorms, fog, and small storms. MSG satellites started launching in 2004. Now, EUMETSAT is getting ready for Meteosat Third Generation (MTG). These new satellites will help us until at least 2025.

Low-Down Satellites: Polar-Orbiting

EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS)

It's hard to get good weather observations in some parts of the world. This includes the Pacific Ocean and the southern parts of the world. That's why polar-orbiting satellites are so important. They help us predict weather and watch the climate in these areas.

The EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS) Metop mission uses three polar-orbiting Metop satellites. They are designed to work for over 14 years. The first one, Metop-A, was launched on October 19, 2006. It was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Russia.

The second EPS satellite, Metop-B, was launched on September 17, 2012. The third, Metop-C, was launched on November 7, 2018. It was launched from French Guiana.

These Metop satellites fly about 817 kilometers (about 508 miles) above Earth. They have special tools that can measure the air's temperature and moisture much more precisely than geostationary satellites.

These satellites also make sure that faraway places are fully covered. This includes Northern Europe and the oceans in the Southern Hemisphere.

The EPS program is also part of a joint project with NOAA in the US. It's called the International Joint Polar System (IJPS). NOAA has been using low-Earth orbiting weather satellites since 1960. Many tools on Metop satellites are also on NOAA's POES satellites. This means they collect similar types of data for the IJPS.

What Tools Are on Metop?

Metop satellites carry many instruments to collect different types of data:

A/DCS: Collects data from buoys and platforms on Earth.
AMSU-A1 and AMSU-A2: Measures temperature in the atmosphere.
ASCAT Advanced Scatterometer: Measures wind speed and direction over the ocean.
AVHRR: Takes images of clouds, land, and ocean surfaces.
GOME-2: Checks the amount of ozone in the atmosphere.
GRAS: Uses GNSS signals to measure temperature and humidity.
HIRS: Measures temperature and moisture using Infrared light.
IASI: Gathers very detailed information about the atmosphere's temperature and moisture.
MHS: Measures humidity in the atmosphere using Microwaves.
SARP-3 and SARR: Helps with search and rescue operations.
SEM: Measures radiation levels in space.

Jason and Sentinel-6 Satellites

These satellites are all about watching our oceans.

Jason-2

The Jason-2 project was a team effort. EUMETSAT worked with CNES (France's space agency) and US agencies NASA and NOAA. Jason-2 was launched on June 20, 2008.

Jason-2 sent back important ocean data. This data helps us understand weather and climate change. It provided information on big ocean changes over 10 years. It also looked at ocean currents, winds, and waves. Jason-2's measurements helped improve global weather and ocean forecasts.

The data from Jason-2 also helped scientists study El Niño and La Niña. These are big ocean events that affect weather worldwide. It also gave new ideas about ocean tides and currents.

Jason-3

Jason-3 was launched on January 17, 2016. It started working on October 14, 2016. Jason-3 flies in a special orbit about 1336 km (830 miles) high. This orbit helps it measure sea level very accurately.

Like Jason-2, this project was a team effort. EUMETSAT, NOAA, CNES, and NASA all worked together.

Sentinel-6/Jason-CS

The Jason satellites were followed by the Sentinel-6 mission. This is part of the European Union's Copernicus Programme for Earth observation. Its goal is to keep measuring global sea levels very precisely. This mission is a big team project. It includes the European Commission, EUMETSAT, ESA, NOAA, NASA, and CNES.

The mission uses two satellites: Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich and Sentinel-6B. They will continue to measure ocean height from 2020 to 2030. They also collect detailed information about temperature in the atmosphere. This helps scientists understand temperature changes and improve weather forecasts.

The first satellite, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, was launched on November 21, 2020. It was named after Michael Freilich (oceanographer), a famous ocean scientist. This satellite took over from Jason-3 in April 2022.

The second satellite, Sentinel-6B, is planned to launch in late 2025.

Images for kids

Model of a first generation Meteosat geostationary satellite.
Model of a second generation Meteosat geostationary satellite.
Model of a MetOp polar satellite.

EUMETSAT facts for kids

Contents