First view of MTG-I2 since leaving Europe

MTG-I2 was taken out of its protective casing at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana yesterday and the teams on the ground are ready to begin the weeks of testing and inspection leading up to launch.

The satellite will improve data for weather forecasts in Europe and in North Africa with its two powerful imagers. One is the Flexible Combined Imager, which provides a rapid scanning service every 2.5 minutes over Europe. The other instrument on board MTG-I2 is the Lightning Imager. This too, is an innovative and powerful instrument, able to capture individual lightning events, by day and night.

As well as providing a huge increase in the quality, quantity and frequency of data for European weather forecasting, the MTG instruments also provide climate data.

The satellite will be transported into orbit by Ariane 6.

Read full story: Unpacking Europe’s new weather imagers