Ariane 6 Launches MTG-I2 Weather Satellite as ESA Retires Two Cluster Craft

The MTG-Imager satellites carry two instruments: a Lightning Imager and a Flexible Combined Imager. The Lightning Imager continuously monitors for lightning from geostationary orbit at roughly 36,000 km above the equator, allowing it to scan more than 80% of the Earth's surface visible from that vantage point. The Flexible Combined Imager tracks fast-changing weather systems and supports timely weather warnings, with particular relevance to air traffic safety. It can scan its full view of Earth in about 10 minutes and cover Europe and northern Africa every 2.5 minutes. When fully operational, MTG is expected to generate at least 50 times more data than the earlier Meteosat Second Generation satellites.

Cluster mission draws to a close

ESA also confirmed the end of its Cluster mission. The last two spacecraft, Samba and Tango, are set to burn up in the atmosphere during targeted reentries on 31 August and 1 September respectively. ESA describes the mission as having reshaped scientific understanding of Earth's magnetic environment, and notes the final reentries offer a rare opportunity for observations conducted from an aircraft.

Two European spacecraft, ESA's photosynthesis mission FLEX and Copernicus satellite Sentinel-3C, are set to launch together as mission teams rehearse parallel operations.