Overview
- The MTG‑I2 satellite launched from Kourou on Friday and separated from the Ariane 6 upper stage about 36 minutes after liftoff, entering a geostationary transfer orbit before a days‑long move to its final 36,000 km slot.
- MTG‑I2 carries a Flexible Combined Imager that returns full views of Europe and North Africa every 2.5 minutes, a Lightning Imager that records flashes day and night, and a spectrometer intended to supply Sentinel‑4 air‑quality data.
- With MTG‑I2 joining MTG‑I1 and MTG‑S1, EUMETSAT and national weather services will gain near‑real‑time, four‑dimensional observations that improve nowcasting of rapidly developing hazards.
- Germany’s DWD says the higher‑cadence imagery could reveal thunderstorm development roughly 15 minutes earlier, allowing faster warnings for flash floods, hail, strong winds, wildfires and ash clouds.
- The mission highlights European industry and launch capability: key satellite hardware was built by OHB in Bremen and this Ariane 6 flight was the rocket’s first to place a payload into a geostationary transfer orbit; MTG‑I2 then enters commissioning and a planned operational life of more than ten years with further MTG‑class launches planned in the 2030s.