The EUMETSAT Polar System: status and first results

摘要

The EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS) is the European contribution to the joint European/US operational polar satellite system (Initial Joint Polar System (IJPS)). It serves the mid-morning (AM) orbit, whereas the US part continues to serve the afternoon (PM) orbit. The satellites of this new polar system are the Metop (Meteorological operational Satellite) satellites, jointly developed with ESA. They deliver high-resolution sounding and also high-resolution imagery in global coverage. Three Metop spacecraft are foreseen for a sun synchronous orbit in the 9:30 AM equator crossing (descending node). They provide polar data from October 2006 onwards, when the first Metop satellite was launched. The EPS programme is planned to cover 14 years of operation. This paper gives an overview on the EPS mission, the products and services provided to users, and shows first results obtained from Metop-A during the commissioning and initial operations phase. All programme components support operational meteorology and climate monitoring, and hence provide a contribution to Global Earth System Monitoring.