First data released from Beyond Gravity instrument on new weather sat

First data released from Beyond Gravity instrument on new weather sat
by Clarence Oxford
Zurich, Switzerland (SPX) Sep 03, 2025

First measurements from Beyond Gravity's advanced radio occultation instrument aboard Europe's latest polar-orbiting weather satellite are already showing the potential to improve future forecasting accuracy.

Launched in mid-August from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana on an Ariane 6 rocket, the Metop Second Generation satellite has now begun returning preliminary observations. These include detailed profiles of atmospheric humidity and temperature. "The new data from our world-leading radio occultation instrument will contribute to better weather forecasts in the future," said Oliver Grassmann, Executive Vice President Satellites at Beyond Gravity. "This new European weather satellite, together with its five future satellites, will significantly enhance weather forecasting accuracy and climate change monitoring."

The radio occultation payload, developed by Beyond Gravity, will be carried on all six Metop Second Generation satellites. By tracking how signals from navigation satellites bend as they pass through the atmosphere, the instrument provides vertical cross-sections of temperature and moisture. The new generation design enables more occultations, higher precision in the troposphere, and additional ionospheric data for space weather prediction.

Beyond Gravity also supplied the primary satellite structure, thermal insulation, and hardware for the Ariane 6 launcher through its partnership with Airbus Defence and Space and ArianeGroup. The company previously delivered occultation instruments for the first-generation Metop satellites, securing Europe's access to global sounding data through 2050.

The Metop-Second Generation program consists of six satellites in three A-B pairs, operated under ESA and EUMETSAT partnership. The current launch was of an A-type satellite, which also carries the Copernicus Sentinel-5 instrument for monitoring atmospheric pollution and greenhouse gases. Future launches will deploy additional satellites to extend continuous coverage.

Metop satellites in polar orbit complement Europe's Meteosat spacecraft in geostationary orbit. Together, the two systems form a dual-orbit approach that combines frequent global soundings with real-time monitoring of fast-changing phenomena such as hurricanes.