ESA MTG-I2 colleagues during a team event

MTG-I2 is set to ride into orbit on board an Ariane 6 rocket on 27 August. With just a few weeks to go before launch, the satellite has completed a series of inspections and checks, which ensure everything will work smoothly on launch day.

Behind the scenes a team of experts has been inspecting every hinge, bolt and surface to ensure the satellite and all its parts are ready to orbit around Earth for at least the next eight-and-a-half years, capturing imaging data of lightning, atmosphere, clouds and developing storms in unprecedented detail.

The MTG-I2 team is pictured here during a team-building workshop in April, before the team deployed to various locations for the intense pre-launch preparations.

Read full story: The team behind Europe’s latest weather satellite