ESA - meteosat third generation

ESA title

The mission

Building on the long-standing partnership between ESA and Eumetsat, Meteosat Third Generation guarantees the continuity of data for weather forecasting and nowcasting from geostationary orbit for the next two decades. The full MTG system is based on a series of two types of satellite: four MTG-Imagers and two MTG-Sounders.

Launches

MTG-I1: 13 December 2022 from French Guiana on Ariane 5
MTG-I2: 27 August 2026 from French Guiana on Ariane 6
MTG-S1: 1 July 2025 from Cape Canaveral, Florida on SpaceX Falcon 9
MTG-I2: 27 August 2026 from French Guiana on Ariane 6

6 satellite system
4 Imager satellites
2 Sounder satellites
20-year operational life

meteosat third generation

MTG-I2 begins its journey

MTG-I2 completes Europe’s latest weather trio

27/08/2026 2917 views 41 likes

MTG-I2 on the launch pad

MTG-I2 ready for launch on Ariane 6

27/08/2026 3332 views 22 likes

MTG-I2 fairing jettison

Watch live: MTG-I2 set for liftoff

24/08/2026 10266 views 75 likes

Press Release N° 38–2026

Media invitation: MTG-I2 pre-launch online briefings

Media representatives are invited to join online media briefings in English, French and German ahead of the launch of the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) Imager weather satellite, MTG-I2.

10/08/2026 777 views

Seven members of ESA’s MTG team at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

The team behind Europe’s latest weather satellite

06/08/2026 2177 views 21 likes

MTG-I’s orbit is geostationary

Lightning watch satellites spotted mystery Atlantic fireball

28/07/2026 1429 views 10 likes

Press Release N° 33–2026

Call for interest: MTG-I2 launch media programme at Europe’s Spaceport

Media representatives are invited to express their interest in attending the media programme for the launch of the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) Imager weather satellite, MTG-I2, at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

02/07/2026 2182 views

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Discover Meteosat Third Generation

Meteosat Third Generation weather satellites

Introducing MTG

21569 views 36 likes

MSG-4 in orbit

Solid heritage

1354 views 2 likes

Rainy weather

Forecasting the weather

4571 views 3 likes

Cyclone Amphan making landfall over Bangladesh

Weathering the storm

1727 views 3 likes

Observing fast-evolving weather with MTG

Satellite constellation

3844 views 19 likes

FCI at Test Centre

Flexible Combined Imager

8279 views 26 likes

MTG to monitor lightning

Lightning Imager

14492 views 17 likes

Meteosat Third Generation Sounder up close

Infrared Sounder

4272 views 8 likes

Testing MTG imager

Facts and figures

3666 views 14 likes

MTG-I and MTG-S

Team talk: 10 things about Meteosat Third Generation

981 views 1 likes

MTG-Sounder satellite over the equator

Team talk: Soundbites from the cleanroom with MTG-S1

366 views 0 likes

MTG-I mission kit cover

MTG-I mission kit

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