EUMETSAT + ESA's Metop-B satellite, being readied for testing after arriving at the launch facilities at Baikonur. Photo is courtesy of ESA.

...of the Metop-B satellite by a Soyuz rocket, scheduled for May 23rd from Baikonur, has to be postponed. This is due to additional measures required to ensure the availability of safe drop zones for parts of the launcher after liftoff. The launch has been postponed for some weeks, until appropriate measures are implemented. It is expected to take place in the second half of July, after the launch of the geostationary MSG-3 spacecraft, which is scheduled for June 19th from the CSG, Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

The Metop-B satellite is the second of three polar orbiting Metop satellites procured on behalf of EUMETSAT by the European Space Agency (ESA) from a European industrial consortium led by Astrium. The satellite also includes instruments delivered by the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the National Ocean and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) from the United States. The Metop satellites form the space segment of the EUMETSAT Polar System. After successful completion of all planned tests by ESA and Industry, the Metop-B satellite will be kept in a safe environment in the Starsem facilities in Baikonur, ready to be fuelled.