Satellite “MTG-S1” successfully launches into space

Cape Canaveral. Better protection against thunderstorms, hurricanes, and flash floods in Europe: The new weather satellite "Meteosat Third Generation Sounder-1" (MTG-S1) is designed to help. On Tuesday evening, the satellite lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket operated by the US company SpaceX. An instrument for monitoring air pollution also launched into space with the satellite. The European Space Agency (ESA) announced overnight that the launch was a success.

At an altitude of approximately 36,000 kilometers, the infrared sounder will collect data on temperature, humidity, and trace gases. This can help detect and predict rapidly developing and potentially dangerous weather events. "By recording 1,700 infrared channels every half hour, we can slice the sky into layers (...) so meteorologists can see exactly what's happening at every altitude," explained Tobias Guggenmoser of ESA.

The satellite, whose prime contractor is OHB Bremen, is a true innovation. According to ESA, Europe currently only has imagers, i.e., satellites with imaging instruments, for geostationary weather satellites, but not sounders with spectroscopic instruments. The vehicle, developed by ESA on behalf of weather satellite operator Eumetsat, will "bring a revolution to weather forecasting and climate observation in Europe."

Before MTG-S1 launched into space, one imager from the satellite series had already been launched. Another is scheduled to follow next year, completing the constellation. Together, these three instruments will detect the development of thunderstorms before clouds even form, thus making severe weather warnings more accurate. The hope is that communities will be able to better prepare for severe storms in the future, resulting in less damage and fewer fatalities.

The spacecraft now launched also carries the Sentinel-4 satellite of the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS), which monitors air quality. The instrument monitors the composition of the atmosphere, including ozone and nitrogen dioxide, and is intended to provide more accurate information on air pollution in Europe.

RND/dpa