Overview
- The MTG‑I2 imager rode Ariane 6 on flight VA270 and was launched from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou on Thursday, completing the first three‑satellite Meteosat Third Generation system.
- This flight was Ariane 6’s ninth launch and the rocket’s first mission to place a payload into geostationary transfer orbit using two P120C solid rocket motors.
- Immediately after separation the spacecraft established contact with the Malindi ground station and teams have begun power‑up, solar‑array deployment and planned orbit‑raising manoeuvres.
- MTG‑I2 carries a Flexible Combined Imager that can deliver images over Europe every 2.5 minutes plus a Lightning Imager that detects strikes day and night to improve nowcasting of storms, floods and fires.
- Once commissioning and handover to EUMETSAT are complete, the three MTG satellites will provide continuous high‑cadence data for European and North African weather services and underpin a second MTG family planned from 2033 to extend service into the 2040s.