Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) is a joint project between ESA and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) and follows up the success of the first generation Meteosat weather satellite series with a larger design boasting higher performance. The first in a planned series of MSG satellites was launched in 2002, entering into service with EUMETSAT in early 2004 and now renamed Meteosat-8.
Launch
28 August 2002 from Kourou, French Guiana
Launcher
Ariane 5
Launch mass
2000 kg
Payload mass
1000 kg
Number of instruments
4 including Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager and Search&Rescue transponder
Orbit
Geostationary; altitude 35600 km
Inclination
0 degrees
Time for one orbit
24 hours
Cycle
not applicable
The second MSG satellite, MSG-2, was launched from Kourou, French Guiana, on 21 December 2005.
MSG story
