A new era of weather forecasting begins

The Meteosat Third Technology Imager satellite tv for pc, set to revolutionise short-term climate forecasting in Europe, lifted off on an Ariane 5 rocket at 21:30 CET (17:30 native time in Kourou) on 13 December from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

The satellite tv for pc separated from the rocket 34 minutes later after which Malindi floor station in Kenya acquired the sign from MTG-I1, indicating the satellite tv for pc is in good well being.

Constructing on the long-standing partnership between ESA and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (Eumetsat), the Meteosat Third Technology Imager-1 (MTG-I1) is the primary of a brand new technology of satellites offering essential observations for the early detection and prediction of fast-developing extreme storms, climate forecasting and local weather monitoring.

This third technology of climate satellites won’t solely assure the continuity of knowledge for climate forecasting from geostationary orbit for the following twenty years, but in addition presents important enhancement of the present imager capabilities and close to realtime lightning imaging – a brand new functionality for European climate satellites.

Paul Blythe, ESA’s Meteosat Programme Supervisor, commented, “After over a decade of shut cooperation and onerous work of all concerned, to see the primary of the MTG-I satellites take to the skies is a profound expertise for me. Because of all who’ve made this doable together with our pals within the industrial groups all through Europe ably led by Thales Alenia House France, my ESA workforce who’ve supported me all through, lots of whom have been with me because the begin of this journey and Eumetsat our companions and finally homeowners of the MTG satellites.

“Most lately an enormous thank it’s essential to go to Arianespace and people at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana for what has been a flawless launch marketing campaign which has culminated on this lovely launch.”

ESA’s Director of Earth Remark Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, stated, “I am extraordinarily proud to see a brand new period of satellite tv for pc meteorology start. I wish to personally thank the groups concerned who’ve devoted their time, expertise and tenacity to make this a hit. We’d not be right here with out you.

“MTG was developed because of the experience of ESA, Eumetsat and a extremely aggressive European area business. With the satellite tv for pc’s revolutionary design and its novel ‘lightning catcher’, MTG will push European climate forecasting into the longer term. I’m very a lot trying ahead to the following many years of working with our European companions, particularly the ESA Member States taking part within the MTG programme whose contribution will guarantee Europe stays a world chief in satellite tv for pc meteorology, in addition to Eumetsat, and all our companions concerned. Our cooperation demonstrates the actually world spirit of Earth statement.”

“Meteosat Third Technology is a European success story. The aim of this multi-billion-euro funding is to offer meteorological providers with a vastly elevated quantity of extra exact data which is able to assist them shield lives, property and infrastructure. This technique will, actually, save lives,” added Phil Evans, Director Normal at Eumetsat.

MTG-I1’s journey to area

Thirty-four minutes after launch, MTG-I1 separated from the Ariane 5 at an altitude of 250 km beginning the automated post-separation sequence together with photo voltaic array deployment and orientation in the direction of the Solar making certain the protection of the satellite tv for pc. In its preliminary few orbits round Earth, the workforce switched on the satellite tv for pc to open its photo voltaic arrays, and turned them to face the Solar.

From there, the workforce will enhance the satellite tv for pc from the preliminary geostationary switch orbit, which is very elliptical, to the round geostationary orbit by a sequence of burns from the principle apogee engine. This part lasts round 5 days from the place will probably be positioned near its last operational location at zero levels longitude straight over Ivory Coast.

MTG-I1 and its two rideshare companions – Intelsat’s Galaxy 35 and Galaxy 36 telecommunications satellites – made up a complete payload mass near 11 tonnes, together with the adapter that stacked them up for the journey to area. That may be very almost the mass file for an Ariane 5 launch to geostationary switch orbit.

A brand new period of satellite tv for pc meteorology

MTG-I1 is the primary of six satellites that kind the total MTG system, which is able to present vital information for short-term and early detection of potential excessive climate occasions over the following 20 years. In full operations, the mission will comprise two MTG-I satellites and one MTG Sounding (MTG-S) satellite tv for pc working in tandem.

The MTG-I satellites carry two utterly new devices, a Versatile Mixed Imager and Europe’s first Lightning Imager, to ship high-quality information for higher short-term climate forecasting.

The revolutionary Lightning Imager will have the ability to seize particular person lightning occasions within the sky, whether or not day or evening. That is the primary time a geostationary climate satellite tv for pc has the potential to detect lightning throughout Europe, Africa and the encircling waters. It’ll repeatedly monitor greater than 80% of the Earth disc for lightning discharges, going down both between clouds or between clouds and the bottom.

The Versatile Mixed Imager will utilise two scanning providers to construct an image of fast-evolving occasions. By means of its full disc scanning service, the imager will scan the whole Earth disc in simply 10 minutes. By means of the speedy scanning service, the imager will scan Europe and northern Africa each 2.5 minutes.

Knowledge acquired throughout 16 totally different spectral bands present exact details about the whole lot from clouds to water vapour, to oceans, to native fires. Photographs will allow earlier prediction of extreme climate occasions, enhancements to forecasts and enhancements of important meteorological methods and environmental occasions.

The MTG-I satellites additionally carry two smaller payloads for information assortment from distant science beacons and for search and rescue by detecting emergency beacons. These all-new devices will permit extreme storms to be detected of their early levels and can subsequently be key for issuing well timed warnings.

The MTG mission is a cooperation between Eumetsat and ESA. ESA is accountable growing and procuring the six MTG satellites. Eumetsat defines the system necessities, develops the bottom methods, procures the launch providers, operates the satellites, and makes the information obtainable to customers.

The MTG satellites are constructed by a big consortium of European industries, led by Thales Alenia House in cooperation with OHB. The revolutionary Lightning Imager is developed by Leonardo in Italy. Telespazio supplies Eumetsat with launch and in-orbit providers.

Associated Hyperlinks

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MTG-I never to be seen again

Kourou, French Guiana (ESA) Dec 08, 2022


As preparations to launch Europe’s first Meteosat Third Technology Imager satellite tv for pc proceed, the workforce at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, has bid farewell to their treasured satellite tv for pc because it was sealed from view throughout the Ariane 5 rocket’s fairing. This all-new climate satellite tv for pc is ready to take to the skies on 13 December.

Since its arrival on the spaceport in mid-October, MTG-I1 has been present process all that it takes to get it prepared for liftoff. This consists of an enormous variety of cautious ch … read more