EUMETSAT to open four pilot 'big data' services

Tuesday, 02 July 2019: A common cloud infrastructure and data 'lake' will feed pilot online data access services, multi-casting services via a broadband terrestrial network, advanced web map services and online product customisation services.

Building on the validation of pathfinder big data services by national meteorological services, the open pilot phase will bring EUMETSAT big data services to full operational status by mid-2021. In the meantime, EUMETSAT plans to open a fifth pilot service for hosted processing, building on the experience gained in the operational exploitation of the WEkEO Copernicus Data and Information Access Service (DIAS) platform deployed in partnership with ECMWF and Mercator-Ocean International.

Meeting in Darmstadt last week, the Council also agreed to re-plan the integration and test sequence of the Metop-SG B1 satellite and to postpone its launch until the end of 2023, one year after the launch of the Metop-SG A1 satellite. This was necessary to eliminate conflicts of resources arising from launch dates of both satellites too close together. The twin satellite configuration of the EUMETSAT Polar System — Second Generation (EPS-SG) will thus be fully deployed in early 2024, after the launch of Metop-SGA1 at the end of 2022 and Metop-SG B1 at the end of 2023.

The Council also agreed to invest in the construction of a 44-place on-site childcare facility, with the objective of opening the service for its staff in January 2022.

“This decision of our Council is another important step in the development of our family policy, an essential feature of the attractiveness of EUMETSAT for young professionals wishing to contribute to our unique mission in a supportive, inclusive environment,” Director-General Alain Ratier said.

Finally, a new contract for power supply approved by the Council will ensure 100 percent 'green' renewable energy will power the EUMETSAT headquarters from November this year.