Reported information
MetOp-SG-B1 leaves its container ahead of final checks in Kourou
The European Space Agency announced on 4 November 2026 that the MetOp-SG-B1 weather satellite had moved to a cleanroom in Kourou and been removed from its transport container. Launch on Ariane 6 remains planned towards the end of the year.
Teams are preparing to switch it on. Final checks, fuelling and encapsulation within the launcher fairing remain ahead, according to ESA.
The satellite is intended to complement MetOp-SG-A1, launched in August 2025, observing the atmosphere and environment for weather forecasting and climate research. Ground preparations do not yet mean its data are available to meteorologists.