EUMETSAT Annual Report 2021

EUMETSAT ANNUAL REPORT 2021
2021 HIGHLIGHTS
Metop-A successfully deorbited
EUMETSAT’s first polar-orbiting satellite, Metop-A, was successfully
deorbited at the end of November after more than 15 years’ service,
more than three times as long as planned. A series of experiments
was held before the satellite’s deorbiting, with the aim of providing
information to benefit operations of the remaining polar-orbiting
satellites, Metop-B and -C.
EUMETSAT’s Africa User Forum takes place
online in September-October 2021
Africa User Forum focuses on next-generation systems
The 2021 Africa User forum focused on African nations’ capacity to
significantly improve weather and climate forecasting through access
to data from Europe’s next-generation meteorological satellites.
The forum attracted more than 200 participants, despite pandemic
restrictions forcing the change to an online format.
EUMETSAT takes key role in digital twins project
EUMETSAT has taken responsibility for a key part of the European
Union’s Destination Earth (DestinE) initiative to create digital twins
of the entire Earth system. EUMETSAT will have end-to-end
responsibility for the multi-cloud data lake underpinning DestinE,
including its design, establishment, testing and operations, and
provision of an online inventory. ESA and the ECMWF are the other
partners in the DestinE project.
Artist’s impression of Metop-A in orbit
Staff survey
About 91 percent of EUMETSAT’s staff members completed the
latest staff survey, conducted online in September. The high level
of engagement will assist the organisation to respond to issues
highlighted by the survey’s results. Detailed responses to the
survey’s findings will be implemented in 2022.
African Space Art Project
Artists Michel Ekeba and Géraldine Tobé from the Democratic Republic
of Congo and Jean David Nkot of Cameroon were selected to produce
a piece of contemporary art to adorn the launcher taking the first MTG
satellite into space. The African Space Art Project is a joint initiative
of African Artists for Development, EUMETSAT and Arianespace and
highlights the importance of the MTG system for Africa.
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