Metop To Be Launched 17 July 2006

[Jooster]

My first post, although I have been lurking for a while!

For anyone who is interested, the first launch of a MetOp satellite is scheduled for Monday 17 July at 16:29 UTC (17:29 BST) from Baikonur in Kazakhstan.

I have been involved in the design, implementation, and test of the on-board software of the Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) which is one of the instruments onboard MetOp and NOAA meteorological satellites. MHS acquires measurements at various altitudes of atmospheric humidity, including rain, snow, hail and sleet, and temperature by measuring microwave radiation emitted from the surface of the Earth.

The first MHS instrument was launched last year, and is operating successfully onboard the NOAA satellite NOAA-18. The MetOp satellites will be operated in parntership with NOAA.

More deatils of MetOp can be found here

[Jooster]

Just a quick update - the launch will be broadcast on the web by EUMETSAT.

Click here if you want to watch it.

Edited July 14, 2006 by Jooster

[johnholmes]

tks for the info Jooster, and welcome to posting on here.

John

[shuggee]

Sounds like one hell of a complex project - have you any photos of the satellite being assembled? I love all that shiny gold tin foil

[Jooster]

No problem :lol:

Before you have a look below though, you made find this rather interesting - photos of the NOAA-N Prime satellite after it fell over when technicians removed 24 bolts from the 'turn-over' cart but didn't tell anyone Pictures available here

Here's a photo of the Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) that I worked on:

And here's photo of the complete satellite:

Edited July 14, 2006 by Jooster

[BARRY]

No problem :lol:

Here's a photo of the Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) that I worked on, followed by a photo of the complete satellite.

intresting read got any more info & by the way thers no link for the photos ah it's there now ta

No problem :o

And here's photo of the complete satellite:

how tall is that great hunk of gold

Edited July 14, 2006 by BARRY

[Jooster]

The yellow "barrier tape" in the bottom-right of the picture is about waist high - so that should give you some idea of the overall size.

The main information from ESA can be found here.

EUMETSAT, the provider of the MHS instrument to the satellite has information available on its home page here.

Edited July 14, 2006 by Jooster