Artist’s rendition of the MetOp-SG spacecraft in orbit. Photo: ESA

[Via Satellite 11-18-2016] Airbus Defence and Space has awarded the Communications & Medical Products Division of Communications & Power Industries (CPI) an 8.7 million euro (approximately $9.5 million) to support a new generation of satellites that is expected to provide global advanced meteorological data from 2021 until after 2040. The Meteorological Operational Satellite – Second Generation (MetOp-SG) program is a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) and consists of two series of satellites carrying complementary instruments.

Under the contract, CPI will develop several engineering and flight models of 5.355 gigahertz Extended Interaction Klystrons (EIKs). CPI’s EIKs are vital to the Scatterometer (SCA) radar instrument, creating the high-power microwaves required for the instrument to measure surface winds over the ocean. This information is expected to play an important role in numerical weather prediction, climate monitoring and the tracking of extreme weather events. In addition, the Scatterometer will provide data on soil moisture, snow cover, sea ice and other valuable environmental measures. Work on this program will take place at CPI’s facilities in Georgetown, Ontario, Canada. CPI will deliver flight models beginning in 2019.