EUMETSAT's New Satellite Programmes: Service Continuity, Improvements and Innovation

In the current space-based global observing system EUMETSAT satellites are cornerstones providing essential atmospheric, land surface and ocean observations. Since the last Annual Meeting of the AMS in early 2013 new EUMETSAT satellites in the geostationary (Meteosat-10) and polar orbit (Metop-B) became operational. The data are important for meteorological applications ranging from nowcasting and numerical weather prediction to climate monitoring. The new Metop-B is the prime satellite assuring continuity in the EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS). Both Metop satellites are operated in parallel creating new opportunities for better coverage and advanced products such as polar Atmospheric Motion Vectors (AVMs) derived from successive images from both Metop satellites, and GOME-2 (Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment) products with improved horizontal sampling.

The presentation will focus on an update for EUMETSAT's next generation of geostationary (Meteosat Third Generation - MTG) and polar orbiting Metop Second Generation satellites, the latter are the space segment of the EUMETSAT Polar System Second-Generation (EPS SG). We specifically address the need to prepare users (and this includes EUMETSAT as operator and prime user) for the operation and use of new instruments. MTG consists of six satellites four of which carry i) an advanced Flexible Combined Imager (FCI) with 16 channels, and ii) a lightning imager (LI). The two sounding satellites carry iii) an infrared hyperspectral sounder (IRS) and iv) a spectrometer measuring trace gases and aerosol in the UV, visible and near-infrared part of the spectrum (UVN). While the imager provides continuity and improvements over and above MSG, the other three instruments on MTG, though they have heritage from polar satellites, can be seen as a step enabling innovation and better services, which in turn implies that utilization and services need to be established. An interesting recent development toward MTG are the super-rapid scans conducted with Meteosat-8 at intervals of 2.5 minutes which provide new insight into convective cloud development. Finally the paper provides an outlook to the next generation of polar satellites and concludes with the status of ocean missions operated by EUMETSAT.