[SatNews] CGS SpA Compagnia Generale per lo Spazio has signed a contract with Airbus DS GmbH for build of the MicroWave Imager (MWI) instrument for the MetOp Second Generation satellites.

The MicroWave Imager is a sophisticated instrument that will be installed on board the Satellite B series and provide Europe’s National Meteorological Services and, by extension, the international users and Science Community, with unprecedented and high-value data for meteorological and climate monitoring. By signing this contract, which has a total volume of 134 million euros, CGS will assume responsibility for the design and the development of the MWI instrument, from Phase B2 to the final in-orbit verification of three flight models, to be supplied to Airbus DS GmbH, the prime contractor of the MetOp-SG Satellite B.

Artistic rendition of MetOp Series "B" satellite.

The MetOp-SG satellites will constitute the space segment of the EUMETSAT Polar System Second Generation (EPS-SG) program that consists of two series of satellites, the “Satellite A” and “Satellite B,” with a nominal baseline of three units each. The MetOp-SG satellites are being developed as a cooperative undertaking between the European Space Agency (ESA) and EUMETSAT.

"With this signing, CGS joins the Metop SG program as responsible for one of the most important instruments of the satellite", said Roberto Aceti, Managing Director of CGS. "This places our company as one of the key players for the success of the project. All European citizens will benefit from unprecedented scientific information that will be provided by MWI with extremely high radiometric accuracy leading to the outstanding improvement of weather forecasts and a better understanding of climate changes."

For further information regarding CGS SpA, please visit http://www.cgspace.it/

Additional details regarding Airbus D&S may be found at http://airbusdefenceandspace.com/