One weather satellite wey ship carry cross Atlantic Ocean don come out of di container wey protect am. On 4 November, European Space Agency report say dem don move MetOp-SG-B1 enter cleanroom for Europe spaceport for French Guiana. Engineers fit now prepare to switch am on and test am before e even reach orbit.
Di journey for sea and di work wey dey go on now na different stages for di mission. Di ship Canopée carry di spacecraft leave Bordeaux for France on 6 October and reach Kourou on 16 October. After e arrive, di satellite still dey inside im container for storage. Dry nitrogen gas and steady temperature of 22 degrees Celsius protect di parts inside.
As dem bring am out, e no mean say e don begin to measure weather. Dem plan to switch am on, run final checks and load fuel. After that dem go put di spacecraft inside di protective cover for Ariane 6 rocket. ESA say dem plan di launch towards di end of di year.
B1 get partner. Dem launch A1 satellite for di same programme for August 2025. Di instruments wey di two spacecraft carry dey do different work. One instrument on B1 na radar wey measure how rough di surface of di sea dey. Scientists fit use that information estimate how fast wind dey blow over ocean and which direction e dey go.
Another instrument go use microwave measurements collect information about rain and other things wey fall from cloud, and about clouds demself. Di aim na to give people wey dey forecast weather different kinds of measurements to work with. Di wider programme plan three pairs of satellites, one pair after another, so that dem fit keep di measurements coming for more than 20 years.
Wetin e mean for you. If you see di pictures with weather headline, check which stage di spacecraft don reach. Di pictures show progress for ground. Dem still need launch am and make di instruments work for orbit before dis particular satellite fit contribute measurements to weather forecasts wey people dey check.