Metop weather observer stood down

The countdown was suspended

Europe has delayed again the flight of its most sophisticated weather and climate satellite - the Metop platform.

The spacecraft was set to go into orbit on a Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan, but the launch countdown was suspended with just seconds left on the clock.

Metop has already experienced a number of frustrating delays, and was even dropped as it was prepared for launch.

The satellite should improve weather forecasts, and give scientists the data they need to refine climate models.

Metop has eight instruments to gather a range of data about the planet's atmospheric and surface conditions.

It has a further three instruments that will be used to assess the space environment and relay data.

THE METOP SATELLITE Dimensions: 17.6m by 6.5m by 5.2m; Total mass: 4,093Kg Full orbit every 101 minutes; Crosses day equator at 0930 Will take key temperature and humidity measurements Monitors wind direction and speed, especially over oceans Builds profiles of ozone and other trace atmospheric gases Joint project for Eumetsat and the European Space Agency

Day and night, Metop will monitor temperature, humidity, wind velocity and ozone cover across the whole globe.

Metop is a joint project of the European Space Agency (Esa) and Eumetsat, the intergovernmental organisation charged by European member states with operating a series of orbiting weather observatories.

"This is a huge step forward for Europe," said Dr Stephen Briggs, head of Esa's Earth Observation Science and Applications Department.

"Metop's technology will be the benchmark for future systems for the next 20 years. It continues a historical series of data collected by previous Esa satellites but takes brand new measurements with a new set of instruments.

"In particular, the French-built Iasi instrument - the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer - will give us three-dimensional temperature, pressure and atmospheric chemistry soundings that are much better than anything we've had before."

The new platform weighs more than four tonnes and measures almost 18m (60ft) with its solar wing unfurled.

Metop is a first for Europe in that it circles the Earth via the poles.

It is the first of three near-identical platforms. The two follow-ons will be launched over the next 10 years to ensure there is continuity of service. The programme is costing 2.4 bn euros (£1.6bn; $3bn).