Recognize and predict severe storms better – the new weather satellite “Meteosat Third Generation Imager-1” (MTG-I1) should help. The satellite was launched aboard an Ariane 5 launch vehicle from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, according to rocket operator Arianespace.
The satellite offers higher resolution and updates its images more frequently than its predecessors. This should provide the national weather services with better data for forecasting – especially for rapidly emerging and rapidly changing weather conditions. The German Weather Service expects an important contribution to civil protection.
Storm clouds should be recognized more clearly using the satellite data and their lifespan better estimated. In addition, the predictions should be able to be limited to a smaller area. For the first time, “MTG-I1” will also be used to record lightning for Europe via a satellite. According to the information, the data also makes it possible to automatically detect fog and forest fires.
“For us, this launch will really usher in an exciting new era,” said Alexander Schmid of European weather satellite operator Eumetsat. “MTG-I1” belongs to a new generation of weather satellites that represent a real milestone. In addition to other imager satellites with imaging instruments, the series also includes so-called sounder satellites – satellites with spectroscopic instruments. The first of these is to be launched in 2024.
It will be some time before the satellite that has now been launched, developed by the European space agency Esa on behalf of Eumetsat, delivers the first data to the weather services: Eumetsat assumes that it will take about a year before the satellite is sufficiently tested in orbit and is set.
