Watch live launch of Meteosat Third Generation Imager-1
On 13 December, the first of a new generation of satellites designed to revolutionise weather forecasting in Europe will take to the skies. ESA and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (Eumetsat) invite you to follow the live coverage for the launch of the first Meteosat Third Generation satellite starting from 19:40 CET on ESA Web TV.
What is MTG?
The Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) system will help meteorologists meet one of their main challenges – the rapid detection and forecasting of severe weather events – so that timely warnings can be given to citizens, civil authorities and first responders.
Data from Meteosat Third Generation-Imager 1, the first satellite of the new generation, will have a wide range of uses, from enabling aircraft to avoid storms and for earlier alerts of flooding, through to more precise monitoring of fires and fog. It will help to protect lives, property and infrastructure and bring economic benefits to Europe and Africa.
The MTG-Imager will produce images of Europe and Africa every 10 minutes from the Flexible Combined Imager’s 16 spectral channels. The Lightning Imager will continuously map lightning flashes between clouds and from clouds to the ground. Higher resolution imagery will be available more quickly, in a significant advance for forecasting of rapidly developing severe weather events.
When is it launching?
The Meteosat Third Generation-Imager 1 is scheduled for launch on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on 13 December 2022 at 21:30 CET (17:30 local time in Kourou).
Through live and recorded interviews and testimonials of MTG’s team members, partners, experts and users, the coverage will look back at the immense work and dedication of all teams involved in building this satellite system; allow you to witness the lift off and launch sequence up to separation via live connection with Europe’s Spaceport; and, finally, look forward at the highly anticipated applications and benefits of this new satellite system.
Watch the launch live on ESA Web TV and be part of the social media conversation using the hashtag: #MTGI1.
Programme:
19:40–21:00 CET
Meteosat Third Generation: Next-generation weather and climate monitoring; pre-launch talk show moderated by Kelsea Brennan-Wessels and Chiara Moenter, ESA; live from ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC)
21:00–22:15 CET
Live launch show from Europe’s Spaceport (retransmission Arianespace)
22:15–22:45 CET
Programme break
22:45–23:00 CET
Solar array deployment live announcement
Access the video
