ESA title
Back to Index
Applications

N° 45–1993: Media arrangements for Meteosat-6 launch

12 November 1993

The launch of the Meteosat-6 satellite by Ariane V61 is currently scheduled for the night of 19 to 20 November 1993 at 01h17 GMT (02h17 in Paris). The launch window is 45 minutes.

The Meteosat-6 satellite was developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) on behalf of EUMETSAT, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites. The satellite was manufactured by an industrial consortium of European companies led by Aerospatiale of France.

All Meteosat satellites are operated by ESA, on behalf of EUMETSAT and the US weather service NOAA, from its European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany. As from 1996, EUMETSAT will take over Meteosat operations from ESA.

Meteosat-6 will ensure that weather forecasters in Europe and abroad will continue to receive an indispensable flow of meteorological data from space. The economic benefits of improved weather forecasts have been calculated to be 130 million ECUs per year - twice of what ESA is spending for development, launch and operations of Meteosat satellites per year.

Journalists are informed that :

 

  1. 1. Comprehensive information on the Meteosat-6 satellite and its launch can be found in an ESA press kit available upon request.

     

  2. 2. ESA will be sending out a press release on the status of the spacecraft early operations in the morning after the launch.

     

  3. 3. Between Friday 19 November, 10h00 and Monday 22 November at 12h00, an answering machine at ESA Head Office will supply up-to-date information on the launch and the early operations of Meteosat-6, ( Tel.: +33.1 42.73.76.60).

     

  4. 4. ESA's Meteosat Project Team will be providing videotransmissions of the launch from Kourou to ESA's two biggest establishments, ESOC in Darmstadt, Germany, and ESTEC in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. ESA and EUMETSAT have pleasure in inviting the media to attend these events, which will start shortly after midnight with an informative local programme.

Journalists wishing to receive the press kit or to attend one of the events at ESOC or ESTEC are requested to send back, if possible by fax, the enclosed form. The programme and all details for the events at ESOC and ESTEC will be sent by fax directly to all registered participants.