• → European Space Agency

      • Space for Europe
      • Space News
      • Space in Images
      • Space in Videos
    • About Us

      • Welcome to ESA
      • DG's News and Views
      • For Member State Delegations
      • Business with ESA
      • ESA Exhibitions
      • ESA Publications
      • Careers at ESA
    • Our Activities

      • Space News
      • Observing the Earth
      • Human Spaceflight
      • Launchers
      • Navigation
      • Space Science
      • Space Engineering
      • Operations
      • Technology
      • Telecommunications & Integrated Applications
    • For Public

    • For Media

    • For Educators

    • For Kids

    • ESA

    • Meteosat Second Generation

    • Observing the Earth

    • About MSG
    • MSG overview
    • Why we need MSG
    • How MSG works
    • Spacecraft details

      • Stabilisation
      • Architecture
      • Communications
      • SEVIRI
      • GERB
      • Search & Rescue
    • Building and flying MSG
    • Designed for space
    • Reaching orbit
    • Launch and early orbit phase
    • The future
    • Next steps
    • Beyond MSG and MetOp
    • Multimedia
    • Image Gallery
    • Video Gallery
    • Wallpapers
    • Screensavers

    ESA > Our Activities > Observing the Earth > Meteosat Second Generation

    The MSG Team

    MSG-2 controllers in simulation at ESOC

    Meteosat Second Generation is a joint project between ESA and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), based in Darmstadt, Germany.

    ESA developed and procured the first two satellites, MSG-1 and MSG-2, and is procuring MSG-3 and MSG-4 on behalf of EUMETSAT, which developed the ground segment. EUMETSAT is also procuring the launchers, establishing user needs, and running the MSG system.

    EUMETSAT contributed one third of the cost of MSG-1 satellite and is paying for MSG-2, MSG-3 and MSG-4 in full. ESA contributed the remaining two thirds of the cost of MSG-1 through an optional programme in which 13 of the Agency’s member states participate.

    ESA placed a contract with Alcatel Space Industries, France to build the first three satellites. More than 50 subcontractors from 13 European countries are involved. In addition the Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget (GERB) experiment is provided by a consortium led by the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford, supported by the UK National Environmental Research Centre (NERC).

    MSG development and procurement at ESA is managed by the MSG project team at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) at Noordwijk in the Netherlands.

    Launch and Early Operations Phase (LEOP) operations, whereby the MSG-2 spacecraft is transferred from a 'parking' orbit attained by the launcher and placed in its final geostationary orbit, are carried out by ESA's European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, under a EUMETSAT contract. ESA's MSG Project Team also supports EUMETSAT during the commissioning phase by contributing spacecraft expertise.

    Last update: 3 May 2006

    Rate this

    Views

    Share

    • Currently 0 out of 5 Stars.
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5
    Rating: 0/5 (0 votes cast)

    Thank you for rating!

    You have already rated this page, you can only rate it once!

    Your rating has been changed, thanks for rating!

    3
    Tweet
    • In depth
    • Operations
    • ESTEC
    • Related links
    • Eumetsat
    • Alcatel
    • Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (GERB)

    Connect with us

    • RSS
    • Youtube
    • Twitter
    • Flickr
    • G+
    • Facebook
    • Livestream
    • Subscribe
    • App Store
    • LATEST ARTICLES
    • · Proba-V opens its eyes
    • · First new Galileo satellite arrive…
    • · Next destination: space
    • · Leak repaired on International Spa…
    • · After Chelyabinsk: European expert…
    • FAQ

    • Jobs at ESA

    • Site Map

    • Contacts

    • Terms and conditions