ESA - meteosat third generation - Archive

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The mission

Building on the long-standing partnership between ESA and Eumetsat, Meteosat Third Generation will guarantee the continuity of data for weather forecasting 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 Kourou, French Guiana on Ariane 5
MTG-I2: Summer 2026 from Kourou, French Guiana on Ariane 6

MTG-S1: 1 July 2025 from Cape Canaveral, Florida on SpaceX Falcon 9

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

meteosat third generation

MTG-I2 was taken out of its protective casing at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana

Unpacking Europe’s new weather imagers

07/07/2026 1311 views 26 likes

FLEX, Sentinel-3C and MTG-I2 on show at TAS cleanrooms

Three ESA-built satellites on show in France

16/04/2026 3821 views 59 likes

Medicane Jolina from MSG

Getting to the core of a medicane

27/03/2026 4970 views 45 likes

MTG-I2 pushed into place for final environmental tests

Next MTG satellite passes final environmental tests

27/03/2026 855 views 20 likes

Global air humidity by MTG-Sounder

Europe’s next-generation weather satellite sends back first…

27/01/2026 89031 views 88 likes

Second MTG-Imager in the thermal vacuum chamber

Second MTG-Imager satellite passes thermal vacuum test

04/09/2025 2869 views 38 likes

Teamwork for LEOP at Fucino for Meteosat Third Generation sounder satellite

Another milestone for the future of European weather observ…

21/07/2025 2729 views 27 likes

MTG-S1 and Sentinel-4 take to the skies

MTG-S1 and Sentinel-4 launch to change how we see our atmos…

02/07/2025 7439 views 38 likes

MTG-S1 hosting Sentinel-4 encapsulation family photo

MTG-S1 satellite hosting the Sentinel-4 instrument is ready…

30/06/2025 3947 views 45 likes

Artist's impression of MTG-S1 with Copernicus Sentinel-4 inside Falcon 9 launcher

Watch MTG-S1 and Sentinel-4 launch live

26/06/2025 15195 views 115 likes

MTG-Sounder satellite over the equator

Why MTG-S1 is a nowcasting game-changer

05/06/2025 5024 views 71 likes

Sentinel-4 on MTG-S

A breath of fresh data: Sentinel-4 innovates for clean air

04/06/2025 2757 views 23 likes

MTG-S1 and Sentinel-4 arrive in Florida

MTG-S1 and Sentinel-4 take a step closer to space

07/05/2025 2661 views 34 likes

MTG-S and Sentinel-4 in the cleanroom in Bremen, lateral view

Two atmospheric missions on one satellite

20/02/2025 2636 views 31 likes

MTG-S1 in the anechoic chamber

Weather satellite passes bake and shake tests with flying c…

15/07/2024 3865 views 39 likes

Meteor seen by Meteosat Third Generation Imager

Fireball witnessed by weather satellite

22/05/2024 5864 views 27 likes

The MTG Infrared Sounder prior to integration on MTG-S1

Putting the S in the first Meteosat Third Generation Sounder

14/08/2023 5838 views 82 likes

Lightning over Europe

European satellite strikes lightning

03/07/2023 19697 views 69 likes

Full Earth disc from the Meteosat Third Generation Imager

New weather satellite reveals spectacular images of Earth

04/05/2023 164888 views 447 likes

Air pollution

Earth observation supports latest UN climate report

20/03/2023 5700 views 70 likes

Preparing to test Sentinel-4

Sentinel-4 set to join next weather satellite

09/02/2023 4472 views 68 likes

MTG-I1 heads for orbit

A new era of weather forecasting begins

14/12/2022 11415 views 71 likes

MTG-I1 poised for launch

MTG-I1 rolled out and good to go

13/12/2022 4161 views 46 likes

MTG-I1 and Ariane 5 booster jettison

Watch live launch of Meteosat Third Generation Imager-1

12/12/2022 14948 views 89 likes

Time say farewell to MTG-I1

MTG-I1 never to be seen again

07/12/2022 6582 views 100 likes

Geared up for fuelling

Locked and loaded

28/11/2022 4907 views 65 likes

MTG-I1 looking good after voyage

Europe’s all-new weather satellite arrives at launch site

18/10/2022 4329 views 84 likes

MTG-I1 ready to set sail

Europe’s new weather satellite sets sail

30/09/2022 3894 views 54 likes

MTG-I1 on display in the cleanroom at Thales Alenia Space’s facilities in Cannes.

MTG-I1 weather satellite shows off

09/09/2022 6533 views 80 likes

Telespazio control centre

Operation centres in tune for upcoming weather satellite

28/07/2022 4385 views 74 likes

MTG to monitor lightning

Weather satellite prepares for lightning

20/04/2022 4805 views 89 likes

MTG-I pushed into the thermal vacuum chamber

MTG-I weather satellite passes tests in preparation for lif…

23/03/2022 4990 views 71 likes

Meteosat Third Generation takes major step towards its firs…

02/09/2021 6042 views 99 likes

Surviving the shaker brings better weather forecasting a st…

02/07/2019 2973 views 37 likes

Cloud-free Europe

New observations for the new economy

08/03/2019 10900 views 90 likes

Earth seen by Meteosat

Shared vision strengthens Europe’s space strategy

08/11/2017 5006 views 46 likes

Meteosat Third Generation

Contract signed for Meteosat Third Generation lightning ins…

07/02/2013 4515 views 23 likes

MTG agreement signed at Ministerial meeting

Meteosat Third Generation agreement signed at Ministerial m…

21/11/2012 4884 views 5 likes

Meteosat Third Generation

A new generation of meteorological satellites

24/02/2012 7111 views 2 likes

NO2 over Europe monitored by GOME-2

Astrium to build ESA's Sentinel-4 atmospheric sensors

11/07/2011 2963 views 4 likes

MTG Industrial Days

MTG Industrial Days offer new business opportunities

01/02/2011 1589 views 0 likes

Meteosat Third Generation imager and sounder

Development of Meteosat Third Generation to start

18/11/2010 7304 views 9 likes

Meteosat Third Generation imager and sounder

ESA and Thales Alenia Space enter negotiations for MTG

19/03/2010 3549 views 0 likes

Meteosat Third Generation imager and sounder

Meteosat Third Generation takes a step forward

22/02/2010 2737 views 0 likes

Dr Prahm and Dr Liebig at the Council meeting

Meteosat Third Generation on track

07/12/2007 1558 views 0 likes

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