Posted: Sun, Jul 7, 2024, 4:28 PM ET (2028 GMT)
Eumetsat will launch its next weather satellite on a Falcon 9 rather than an Ariane 6, a move that stunned European space officials. The weather agency said late Friday it will launch the MTG-S1 geostationary weather satellite on a Falcon 9 in 2025, rather than on an Ariane 6 previously scheduled for early next year. Eumetsat said only that "exceptional circumstances" led them to switch rockets. The decision took space agency leaders by surprise, who publicly said that they didn't understand why Eumetsat made this change, particularly within two weeks of the inaugural flight of the Ariane 6.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  Politico article
•  Eumetsat press release