Metop B
9/17/2012
Metop-C will operate in the same 817-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit with a mid-morning crossing time as Metop-A and Metop-B.
As of September 14, 2012, the mission duration for the MetOp-B Soyuz flight was planned as 1 hour 9 minutes with deployment of MetOp-B into a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude between 800 and 850 km.
The MetOp-B satellite was originally scheduled to be launched by a 14A14-1A Soyuz-2-1A/Fregat (012/1037) on May 23, 2012 from PU-6 LC31.
As of April 27, 2012, the MetOp-B launch scheduled for May 23, 2012 was postponed for some weeks to implement measures ensuring availability of safe drop zones for launcher parts after liftoff.
As of March 4, 2012, the launcher for the MetOp-B mission arrived at Baikonur Cosmodrome.
As of September 14, 2012, MetOp-B had a liftoff mass of approximately 4,085 kg.
As of September 16, 2012, MetOp-B was mated in its payload fairing to the Soyuz-2-1A third stage at Baikonur Cosmodrome.
As of April 27, 2012, the MetOp-B launch was expected to take place in the second half of July 2012 after the MSG-3 launch scheduled for June 19, 2012 from CSG.
As of March 6, 2012, the MetOp-B satellite had been delivered to Baikonur Cosmodrome for checkout.
As of June 28, 2012, the MetOp-B launch campaign was scheduled to resume in early July 2012 and fueling was planned for August 2012.
As of June 28, 2012, a revised launch date for MetOp-B from Baikonur Cosmodrome was set for September 19, 2012.
An internal ESA study initiated in 2024 assessed options to remove METOP-A, METOP-B and METOP-C from orbit, including an option to first remove METOP-A as an in-orbit demonstration.
As of July 11, 2021, a USN STA request sought a 180-day authorization to support Metop-A de-orbit and future LEOP ranging qualification testing using Metop-B and Metop-C with downlink frequency 2230.000 MHz and uplink frequency 2053.458 MHz.
As of August 20, 2012, fueling of the MetOp-B satellite at Starsem's Hazardous Processing Facility high bay at Baikonur Cosmodrome had been prepared to begin.