MTG-I2 Set for Aug. 27 Ariane 6 Launch, Completing 3-Satellite Weather Imager Family
Updated
Updated · European Space Agency · Aug 24
MTG-I2 Set for Aug. 27 Ariane 6 Launch, Completing 3-Satellite Weather Imager Family
3 articles · Updated · European Space Agency · Aug 24
Summary
MTG-I2 is scheduled to lift off on flight VA270 from French Guiana at 22:10 CEST on Aug. 27, with a 2.5-hour launch window and live ESA coverage starting at 21:42.
The satellite will complete the first three-member MTG family, expanding weather forecasting over Europe and northern Africa with higher-detail imagery and stronger nowcasting of severe storms.
Two onboard instruments drive that upgrade: a Lightning Imager that continuously monitors lightning and a Flexible Combined Imager that scans Earth’s visible disk every 10 minutes and Europe and North Africa every 2.5 minutes.
Ariane 6’s ninth mission will also mark the rocket’s first flight to geostationary transfer orbit and its farthest mission yet, using two P120C solid boosters to deploy the satellite.
As Ariane 6 attempts its first geostationary transfer orbit today, what hidden risks could jeopardize Europe's next-generation weather forecasting?
With MTG-I2 scanning Europe every 2.5 minutes, how will this unprecedented flood of real-time data revolutionize our response to sudden climate disasters?
Why is Europe investing heavily in massive geostationary weather satellites while other space agencies pivot toward cheaper, low-Earth orbit constellations?