In May 2014 during ILA Berlin Air Show, in a presence of chancellor Angela Merkel, ESA, EUMETSAT and Airbus Defence and Space signed the first documents for the development of second generation of the MetOp satellites. [2] On 16 October 2014 contract was signed with Airbus Defence and Space for a construction of the satellites, worth €1.3 billion in total for six spacecraft (on average €266.7 million each).[1] In December 2014 additional contracts were signed for Ice Cloud Imagers to be used on B-series satellites and three MicroWave Sounder instruments.[3][4]
MetOp-SG satellites will come in two series: A carrying optical instruments and B with microwave sensors. First A-series satellite will be launched in 2021, while first B-series satellite will be launched in 2022.[2]