EO·Atlas
MWS Microwave Sounder
MWS is a cross-track passive microwave sounder for temperature and humidity profiling on MetOp-SG.
MWS (Microwave Sounder) is a cross-track passive microwave radiometer developed by Airbus Defence and Space for the MetOp Second Generation (MetOp-SG) satellite series. It operates 24 channels spanning 23.8 GHz to 229 GHz, covering surface emission windows, oxygen absorption bands near 50-58 GHz for temperature profiling, and water-vapour absorption bands near 183 GHz for humidity profiling.[1] Swath width is 2300 km with an IFOV ranging from 17 km to 40 km depending on channel.[1] Instrument mass is 132 kg and average power consumption is 137 W.[1]
MWS flew for the first time on MetOp-SG A1, launched on Ariane 6 in August 2025.[2] It is planned for MetOp-SG A2 and A3. MWS combines the temperature-sounding role of AMSU-A and the humidity-sounding role of MHS on MetOp first-generation satellites, providing those measurements in a single 24-channel instrument.[1]
Pricing not publicly listed by operator
Supply chain position
- Microwave atmospheric soundingvia Metop-SG-A1
MWS provides passive microwave atmospheric temperature and humidity sounding.
None on record.
- [1]WMO OSCAR - MWS Microwave Sounder instrument recordagency doc2026-06-11
- [2]MetOp-SG A1 successful launch, Airbus press release 2025-08operator press2026-06-11
- [3]MetOp-SG Mission Overview, eoPortalcommunity2026-06-11
How to cite this page
Plain text
MWS Microwave Sounder. EO-Atlas, SpectraWorks B.V. https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/mws-microwave-sounder (CC BY 4.0)
BibTeX
@misc{eoatlas:products:sensor:mws-microwave-sounder,
title = {MWS Microwave Sounder},
author = {{EO-Atlas}},
publisher = {SpectraWorks B.V.},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
url = {https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/mws-microwave-sounder}
}