Metop-A, the first of three satellites of the EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS), was launched at 16:28 UTC on 19 October 2006, from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. On 15 May 2007, after about 6 months in commissioning, the satellite was officially declared operational.

The EPS is Europe’s first polar orbiting operational meteorological satellite system, and it is the European contribution to the Initial Joint Polar-Orbiting Operational Satellite System (IJPS). In this joint European-US polar satellite system, EUMETSAT has the operational responsibility for the "morning orbit" with the Metop satellites.

Images of the satellite and the launch campaign, as well as the first images from Metop-A can be found in the , available from the Media Photo Library page.

Flying at a much lower altitude (~800 km) than the geostationary Meteosats, the Metop satellites, developed by the on behalf of EUMETSAT, provide more precise details about atmospheric temperature and moisture profiles, invaluable for weather forecasting and climate monitoring. To learn more about the benefits that the EPS brings to European citizens and others worldwide, take a look at the section.

More information is also found under the section. A description of the complex system needed to control the satellite and retrieve, process and archive data, is provided in the section. An overview of the EPS programme and the partners involved is presented in the section.