The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 22 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
Go to topicThank you for liking
You have already liked this page, you can only like it once!
Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) was developed by the European Space Agency according to the user requirements specified by EUMETSAT, and built by Alcatel Space Industries. The 3.7 metre high geostationary meteorological satellite for continuous weather and climate monitoring will open a whole range of opportunities for new and innovative applications. With two tonnes of orbiting mass, MSG weighs about three times as much as its predecessor Meteosat. Close to 30 square metres of solar panels provide permanent power of more than 700 Watt needed for instruments and communications systems during the designed lifetime of at least seven years. MSG carries an imaging radiometer, called SEVIRI, the GERB instrument to study the Earth's radiation balance, a search and rescue transponder and a powerful data transmitter to download and relay meteorological data and weather images on a continuous basis.