2023-05-04 14:27:37
04/05/2023
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Europe’s newest weather satellite, the Meteosat Third Generation Imager, recently delivered its first image of Earth, showing conditions over Europe, Africa and the Atlantic in stunning detail.
Launched on December 13, 2022 on an Ariane 5 rocket, the Meteosat Third Generation Imager-1 (MTG-I1) is the first of a new generation of satellites that will fundamentally change weather forecasting in Europe. ESA and Eumetsat are proud to announce the new image of the first next-generation satellite.
The image captured by the satellite’s Flexible Combined Imager on March 18, 2023 shows much of northern and western Europe and Scandinavia shrouded in cloud, while skies over Italy and the western Balkans are comparatively clear.
Full Earth disc
ESA Director of Earth Observation Programs Simonetta Cheli said: “This image is an excellent example of what can be achieved through European cooperation in space. The level of detail in MTG-I1’s images, previously unavailable from geostationary orbit over Europe and Africa, will give us a better understanding of our planet and the weather systems that make it up.”
“This image symbolizes not only what can be achieved through European expertise, but also our determination to harness the benefits of new technology for communities in Europe and beyond.”
The instruments onboard Meteosat’s third generation weather satellites provide images with a much higher resolution and frequency than the instruments on Meteosat’s second generation satellites.
The image shows details such as cloud swirls over the Canary Islands, snowpack on the Alps, and sediments in the water along the coast of Italy. These details are not as clearly visible, if at all, in the images from the satellite’s current second generation instruments.
The new image also reveals a greater level of detail in high-latitude cloud structures. This allows weather forecasters to track the formation of rapidly developing storms in this region more closely.
24 hours across Europe
Eumetsat Director General Phil Evans added: “This remarkable image reinforces our expectation that the MTG system will herald a new era in severe weather forecasting.”
“It might sound strange to be so excited about a cloudy day across most of Europe. But the level of detail in the clouds in this image is extremely important to meteorologists. The additional level of detail of the higher resolution images combined with the fact that the images are generated more frequently allows meteorologists to detect and predict severe weather events more accurately and quickly.”
“The high resolution and frequent iteration cycles of the Flexible Combined Imager will be of great benefit to the World Meteorological Organization in improving severe weather forecasting, long-term climate monitoring, marine applications and agricultural meteorology, and an important contribution to the initiative Early Warnings For All particularly on the African continent,” added Natalia Donoho, Head of Space Systems and Utilization at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
MTG-I1 is currently undergoing a 12-month commissioning phase during which the instruments, the Flexible Combined Imager and the Lightning Imager, will be powered up and the data they produce calibrated. The data from the satellite will then be transmitted to the meteorological services in Europe and other countries beyond at the end of 2023 for use in weather forecasting.
The ground infrastructure required for routine image processing was used to create this first image and gives a preview of the activities to come this year. Once the system is fully operational, images of the entire earth disk will be taken every 10 minutes.
The MTG satellites will be built by a comprehensive consortium of European companies led by Thales Alenia Space in cooperation with OHB. The innovative Lightning Imager was developed by Leonardo in Italy, while Telespazio will support Eumetsat at launch and in orbit.
Europa
A new era in satellite meteorology
MTG-I1 is the first of six satellites that make up the overall MTG system, which will provide critical data for short-term and early detection of potential extreme weather events over the next 20 years. The full-service mission consists of two MTG-I satellites and one MTG sounding satellite (MTG-S) working in tandem.
The MTG-S sounding satellites – a first for Meteosat – will carry an infrared sounder and spectrometer for measurements in the ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared spectral ranges. By monitoring atmospheric instability in clouds three-dimensionally, the sounder will represent a major step forward in early warning of severe thunderstorms. From the geostationary orbit, it is intended to provide unique information about the composition of the atmosphere from ozone, carbon monoxide and volcanic ash.
The revolutionary infrared sounding instrument is currently undergoing final performance testing before being shipped to Bremen, Germany for integration into the MTG-S satellite. The satellite is expected to be completed by mid-2024 and ready for launch before the end of the year.
ESA’s Meteosat Program Manager, Paul Blythe, said: “Following the launch of the MTG-I1 satellite, the momentum of the MTG program has continued. On the one hand we support the operation and data analysis of the first satellite in orbit, on the other hand we are working flat out on the availability and performance of the new MTG sounding satellite.”
“The initial results of MTG-I1 are extremely motivating for everyone involved in this program and provide an important impetus to complete the entire MTG constellation by 2026.”
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