14 DAY TRIAL // Officials from the European Space Agency (ESA) and aerospace company Thales Alenia Space signed an important contract on February 24. The agreement sets the parameters for the development of the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) satellite family.
ESA is keen on augmenting its presence in space, especially when it comes to Earth observation capabilities. If current plans come to fruition, the organization will have a large number of new satellites in orbit by 2020, under various programs, including Sentinel, Galileo and Swarm.
MTG is scheduled to replace the existing Meteosat satellite family. The contract officials signed at ESA Headquarters, in Paris, states that MTG-I is to launch in 2017, if development goes according to plan.
Following in the footsteps of the Meteosat and Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) constellations, MTG will ensure that Europe retains access to high-resolution, high-quality meteorological data in the long run, even beyond 2037.
MTG is developed by a collaboration between Eumetsat and ESA. For a while after deployment, it will operate alongside MSG spacecraft, as well as the MetOp series of polar-orbiting spacecraft. Experts expect to collect vast volumes of data from these satellites.
According to the new agreement, the future meteorological constellation will include four MTG-I imaging and two MTG-S sounding satellites. Before the constellation is deployed, two MTG-I prototypes will be launched in late 2017 and mid-2019.
This approach is common practice at ESA. The agency also used it in late 2011, when it launched two prototype spacecraft from its Galileo satellite navigation constellation. Galileo is being developed as an alternative to the American-built Global Positioning System (GPS).
Scientists say that the MTG spacecraft will be placed in geostationary orbits above the planet's equator, at longitudes between 10ºE and 10ºW. The exact positions are subject to change at this point.
“In addition to the advanced imaging capabilities offered by the Flexible Combined Imager, the satellites will offer an all-new infrared sounding capability and imaging of global lightning that will provide early warning of severe storms,” an ESA press release explains.
“MTG-S will also carry the Sentinel-4 payload for the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program. This advanced payload will analyze atmospheric chemistry and identify concentrations of trace gases like ozone and nitrogen dioxide,” the statement concludes.