About ESA
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.
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Space in Member States
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Germany
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Spain
Estonia
Finland
France
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
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Science & Exploration
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
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Enabling & Support
Making space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Meteosat satellite integration at Aérospatiales Cannes facilities.
For the past 23 years, Europe’s Meteosat satellites have been sending pictures of the weather back to Earth for viewing by millions on daily TV weather bulletins. Their position in geostationary orbit at 0 degrees longitude has given them an unprecedented view of the weather over Europe, Africa and the eastern Atlantic. The images have contributed to an enormous improvement in the accuracy of medium-range weather forecasts over these regions.
Meteosat can lay claim to a number of firsts. Initiated in 1972 by ESA’s predecessor, the European Space Research Organisation, it was the Agency’s first applications programme. Meteosat-1, launched in 1977, was Europe’s first meteorological satellite and Meteosat-2 was launched in 1981 on one of the qualification flights of Ariane-1 from Kourou, French Guiana. Meteosat-3, the last of the pre-operational satellites, was launched in 1988.
ESA’s role changed from one of development and programme definition to satellite procurement and housekeeping on behalf of EUMETSAT.
Meteosat-7, the last satellite in the series was launched in 1997. It is part of a Meteosat Transition Programme (MTP) which will manage the handover between the first and second generation of satellites. Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) will be an upgraded series of satellites employing state of the art technology, which will continue the fine tradition of the first series, but with improved data gathering capabilities.
