A European weather and environment satellite, MetOp-A, whose launch from Russia's space base in Kazakhstan has been delayed four times, is set to go into space on Tuesday. The MetOp-A observation satellite, the most complex ever built, will carry around a dozen instruments for measuring weather patterns and monitoring climate change, the European Space Agency says. Its future operator is the European weather satellite consortium, Eumetsat.
The launch is now planned for 10:28 pm (1628 GMT) at the Baikonur base in Kazakhstan, when a Russian Soyuz-Fregat will lift off with the satellite on board.
The four-tonne polar-orbiting satellite was to have been launched in July, but has been plagued by a series of problems.
The last hitch was earlier this month when the rocket's upper stage was knocked as it was being attached to the lower stage for launching.
Two similar satellites are to be launched in coming years.
