MTG-I1 poised for launch

With liftoff set for 13 December at 21:30 CET, the Ariane 5 rocket carrying the first Meteosat Third Generation Imager, MTG-I1, satellite is poised patiently on the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana while the final checks are being carried out. Once in geostationary orbit, 36,000 km above the equator, this new satellite is set to herald a new era for meteorology.

MTG-I1 has been at the launch site since mid-October being carefully readied for liftoff. Over the weekend, the all-important technical ‘launch readiness review’ gave the green light for liftoff and the Ariane 5 rocket subsequently rolled out to the launch pad.