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MTG-S1 and Sentinel-4 mission launch

The next Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) satellite and the first instrument of the Copernicus Sentinel-4 mission are due to launch today from Cape Canaveral, Florida, US. Expected time of launch 22:03 BST.

The MTG-S will be the second of its generation to launch. MTG-I which is an imaging satellite is already in orbit and is followed by the MTG-S (Infrared Sounder), launching today. The satellite will provide 3D maps of the atmosphere using temperature, humidity, wind and trace gas data which will significantly improve the accuracy of MTG’s weather prediction.

MTG-S will be the first geostationary satellite for atmospheric trace gas sounding over Europe and North Africa, providing hourly information on air quality to key stakeholders in government and health.

NCEO scientists are particularly interested in the data across our science groups for the scientific exploitation in conjunction with air quality models and for the Infrared Sounder retrieval scheme development and application. MTG-S can also add diurnal sampling for fire emissions and radiation/climate studies.

Copernicus Sentinel-4

Dr Richard Siddans, NCEO scientist at RAL Space has been involved in the preparation of Sentinel-4 for many years. As part of the Mission Advisory Group (MAG), Dr Siddans and colleagues have been developing two of the operational level 2 processors (one for tropospheric ozone and another for re-mapping flexible combined imager (FCI) data).          

Colleagues at RAL Space will be in the instrument level 1 and level 2 commissioning phase for the first 12 months post launch.

AIT engineer at RAL Space, William Kingett, talks through the levels of testing and calibration they have conducted on the Sentinel-4 instruments at RAL Space facilities in Harwell.

We would like to wish NCEO colleagues and those across the sector best of luck for the launch tonight!

Launch information

You can watch the launch live on ESA Web TV tonight from 20.15 BST. You can find the launch programme below from the ESA website –

Tuesday, 1 July

20:15 Livestream begins

20:20 Welcome speeches, interviews, discussions

22:03 MTG-S1 and Sentinel-4 launch on SpaceX Falcon 9 (launch window: 2 hours)

22:13 Post-launch interviews and discussions

22:35 Separation of MTG-S1 and Sentinel-4

22:37 Acquisition of signal

22:38 Launch success speeches

22:44 Livestream ends and further details.