The second Meteosat Third Generation Imager satellite, MTG-I2, was launched on 27 August 2026 at 22:11 CEST (17:11 local time) on Ariane 6 flight VA270 from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. According to ESA, the satellite completes the first family of MTG satellites.
A three-satellite system
The MTG system now has three satellites in orbit. The first MTG Imager was launched in 2022, followed by the MTG Sounder. Both have been commissioned and handed over to Eumetsat for operational service. MTG-I2 provides continuity and resilience, and once it is commissioned the mission can operate at full capacity.
Images every 2.5 minutes
MTG-I2 will be placed in geostationary orbit at around 36,000 km. There it stays above the same point on Earth. Its Flexible Combined Imager will provide the rapid scanning service over Europe and deliver new observations every 2.5 minutes. According to ESA, this allows meteorologists to follow the development of weather systems in unprecedented detail and supports early warnings as well as the tracking of wildfires and air pollution.
"MTG-I2 brings advanced satellite technology that will improve climate monitoring and weather forecasts over Europe, offering real benefits to citizens and communities across our continent."Simonetta Cheli, ESA Director of Earth Observation Programmes
Next steps
After launch, MTG-I2 performs about two weeks of orbit-raising manoeuvres during the launch and early operations phase. Commissioning follows afterwards. From 2033, ESA plans to launch a second family of MTG satellites to extend the mission beyond 2040. MTG continues the services of the Meteosat Second Generation satellites, which were launched between 2002 and 2015.
Related reading
- Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) Explained: How Satellites Reach GEO
- LEO, MEO and GEO Satellites Compared: Altitudes, Uses and Examples
- Upper Stages and Kick Stages: How Rockets Deliver Satellites to Their Final Orbit
Sources
- ESA, "MTG-I2 completes Europe's latest weather trio", press release N° 43-2026, 27 August 2026: esa.int
Cover image: Night lights along the Mediterranean coast, photographed from the International Space Station on 23 September 2024. Image: NASA, images.nasa.gov.