Brussels, 22/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Space Agency (ESA) will launch the MSG-4, the latest in a series of weather satellites, on 8 July.
The satellite, to be launched from the Kourou (French Guiana) Spaceport on an Ariane 5, is the latest in a series of second generation weather satellites (Meteosat 10 and Meteosat 11). The mission of these satellites is to detect and predict up to six hours in advance any significant impact weather events, such as storms or fog. They are equipped with a spinning enhanced visible and infrared imager (SEVIRI) which makes it possible permanently to measure developments in cloud properties, atmospheric instabilities and ground temperatures. The satellites are also fitted with a GERB (geostationary earth radiation budget) instrument to monitor more closely reflected sunlight and thermal emissions from earth to study daily variations and long-term climate changes.
MSG-4 was developed in partnership between the ESA and Eumetsat, an intergovernmental organisation which gathers meteorological data, and was built by the Thales Alenia Space consortium. Third generation satellites are due to be put into geostationary orbit between 2019 and 2021. (Pascal Hansens)