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Europe's Metop weather satellite set for Soyuz launch
One of the most important European space launches of the year takes place from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, later.
A Soyuz rocket will put the four-tonne Metop-B satellite in orbit to acquire critical data for weather forecasters.
The spacecraft will ensure there is continuity of observations following on from Metop-A, which was launched in 2006.
The computer models that provide our daily forecasts have come to rely heavily on this satellite data.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19619779
