N° 4–2025: Invitation to media – cleanroom visit to Europe’s MTG-Sounder and Sentinel-4
27 January 2025
Journalists are invited to a one-off opportunity to see the latest-generation European weather satellite, the Meteosat Third Generation Sounder, MTG-S, as well as the Copernicus Sentinel-4 mission, in the cleanroom of prime contractor OHB in Bremen, Germany, on Thursday, 20 February, 2025.
During the visit programme, registered media can take pictures of the impressive spacecraft and its instruments in the cleanroom area before it is prepared for shipment to the US for launch. High-ranking experts from ESA Earth Observation, Eumetsat, the European Commission, ECMWF, OHB, Thales Alenia Space and others will be available on site for interviews.
The first MTG satellite was launched in December 2022 and has been producing images for weather forecasting in Europe in unprecedented detail. Now, the second satellite in the constellation is getting ready for launch. MTG-S is equipped with the first European operational Infrared Sounder instrument. It also carries the Copernicus Sentinel-4 mission, which will be used to monitor air quality with its ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared light (UVN) spectrometer.
While MTG-S will further improve atmospheric observations for weather forecasting, the Sentinel-4 spectrometer will deliver information every hour to monitor air quality and pollution over Europe. Together, the two instruments weigh 650 kg, while the assembled spacecraft, fuelled for launch, will weigh more than 3.8 tonnes and stands more than five metres tall.
MTG-S will provide three-dimensional images of Earth’s atmosphere, with the potential to pick up localised atmospheric instabilities that could indicate the development of major storms much earlier than the Meteosat Second Generation satellites, currently in operation.
Media visit programme
(Only with prior registration and clearance by OHB Security)
10:00-10:15 - Check-in and welcome coffee at OHB Headquarters, Bremen.
10:15-11:30 - Management introductions and senior expert presentations, including:
- Chiara Pedersoli and Rüdiger Schönfeld, OHB System AG
- Simonetta Cheli, ESA Director of Earth Observation Programmes
- Cristian Bank, Eumetsat Director of Programme Preparation and Development
- Attilio Gambardella, Policy Officer, Earth Observation Unit, European Commission (DEFIS)
- Ian Bennett, OHB System Director Earth Observation Systems
- Olivier Brize, Thales Alenia Space MTG Project Manager
- Christoph Ehrhart, Airbus Sentinel-4 Project Manager
- Dr. Richard Engelen, Deputy Director, Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, ECMWF
- Dr. Peter Braesicke, DWD, Director of Research and Development
11:30 – 12:00 -Media Q&A and individual interview possibilities with the above speakers as well as the following:
- James Champion, ESA MTG Project Manager
- Giorgio Bagnasco, ESA Sentinel-4 Project Manager
- Ben Veihelmann, Atmospheric Scientist, ESA
- Alexander Schmid, Eumetsat MTG Programme Manager
- Horst Wiegmann, OHB MTG Project Manager
- Rupert Feckl, OHB Meteo and International Export Programmes Manager
- Bertrand Denis, Thales Alenia Space Vice-President Observation, Science and Exploration
- Plus other senior managers
12:00-12:30 – Lunch
12:30-13:30 - Cleanroom Visit group 1 (interview opportunities group 2)
13:30-14:30 - Cleanroom Visit group 2 (interview opportunities group 1)
14:30-15:00 - Come together and time for additional interview opportunities
Farewell
An off-the-record dinner will be organised for all event participants on the evening of Wednesday, 19 February, 2025. Location and details to follow shortly.
Background on MTG-S
Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) is a cooperation between ESA and Eumetsat. It follows the success of the first and second generation of Europe’s Meteosat weather satellites, and will ensure the continuity of data from geostationary orbit, 36 000 km above Earth.
The combination of MTG’s increased resolution imaging data and state-of-the-art sounding products will take weather forecasting capabilities to the next level, particularly for the challenging task of nowcasting. Nowcasting enables earlier detection of rapidly evolving, and potentially damaging, weather phenomena such as severe thunderstorms, helping us to avoid potentially catastrophic impacts.
To meet more than the 20-year operational life of the mission, the full MTG system comprises six satellites, four imaging satellites (MTG-I) and two sounding satellites (MTG-S). Now it’s time to launch the second MTG satellite, MTG-S1.
Thales Alenia Space is the industrial prime contractor for the whole Meteosat Third Generation in collaboration with OHB, prime contractor for MTG-S.
Background on Copernicus Sentinel-4
Launching on board the MTG-S satellite is an instrument from another mission: the Copernicus Sentinel-4 UVN spectrometer. The Sentinel-4 mission uses data from the UVN spectrometer as well as data from the InfraRed Sounder (IRS), both embarked on the MTG-S satellite. After the MTG-S satellite is in orbit, the Sentinel-4 mission will also use data from Eumetsat's Flexible Combined Imager (FCI), which is in orbit on the MTG-Imager satellite.
Sentinel-4, which is set to play a key role in monitoring air quality over Europe, is dedicated to monitoring the composition of the atmosphere for Copernicus Atmosphere Services. Its UVN spectrometer will deliver hourly high-resolution measurements of trace gases such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulphur dioxide and formaldehyde, as well as aerosols.
Copernicus Sentinel-4 was developed by ESA and Airbus in Germany.
Media registration and contact
Media representatives are requested to register via email by Friday, 14 February 2025 at the latest.
For registration and questions, please contact MTGS@ohb.de.
Event address
OHB, Manfred-Fuchs-Platz 4, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
Accommodation
- Please note that journalists’ travel and accommodation costs will not be covered.
- A group booking has been made at 7Things Bremen. When booking please use reservation code “MTG”, phone +49 421 696 77 3 77 or e-mail: info@7things.de.
- Alternative accommodation can be reserved at: Hotel Munte am Stadtwald. Reservation code “MTG”, phone: +49 (0) 421 / 22 0 2-0 or e-mail: info@hotel-munte.de.
Further information
MTG background information and latest news: https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Meteorological_missions/
MTG-Sounder: https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Meteorological_missions/Meteosat_Third_Generation_Sounder
ESA Earth Observation Programmes: www.esa.int/eo
ESA: www.esa.int
Images
ESA's Photo Library for Professionals: https://photolibrary.esa.int/home-page/ (registration needed)
Terms and conditions for using ESA images: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Terms_and_conditions_of_use_of_images_and_videos_available_on_the_esa_website
For questions or more information related to ESA images, please contact directly:
spaceinimages@esa.int
Videos
Meteosat Third Generation's first stunning image: ESA - Meteosat Third Generation's first stunning image
First data from Europe’s Lightning Imager: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2023/07/First_data_from_Europe_s_Lightning_Imager
ESA's Video Library for Professionals:
https://www.esa.int/esatv/Videos_for_Professionals
Terms and conditions for using ESA videos:
https://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Terms_and_Conditions
For questions or more information related to ESA videos, please contact directly spaceinvideos@esa.int
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About the European Space Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.
ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
ESA has 23 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia are Associate Members.
ESA has established formal cooperation with four Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.
By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.
Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int