Carried on an Ariane 5, the latest weather satellite in Europe’s highly successful Meteosat Second Generation series, MSG-3, lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 5 July 2012. The launch of MSG-3 ensures the continuity of meteorological observations to improve weather forecasts from geostationary orbit 36 000 km above Earth. ESA has developed the series of weather satellites in close cooperation with the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, Eumetsat.