Hi My Friends: A VUELO DE UN QUINDE EL BLOG., The latest weather satellite in Europe’s highly successful Meteosat
second-generation series is on its way after lifting off on an Ariane 5
at 21:36 GMT (23:36 CEST) on Thursday, 5 July from Europe’s Spaceport at
the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana.
Carried on an Ariane 5, the latest weather satellite in Europe’s highly
successful Meteosat Second Generation series, MSG-3, lifted off from
Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 5 July 2012. The launch
of MSG-3 ensures the continuity of meteorological observations to
improve weather forecasts from geostationary orbit 36 000 km above
Earth. ESA has developed the series of weather satellites in close
cooperation with the European Organisation for the Exploitation of
Meteorological Satellites, Eumetsat.
Credits: ESA
The satellite’s sensors will ensure that Europe and Africa continue to receive up-to-date weather coverage.
Some 34 minutes into flight, the third Meteosat Second Generation
satellite was released into its targeted elliptical transfer orbit. It
is now being controlled from ESA’s European Space Operations Centre, in
Darmstadt, Germany.
In ten days, once the initial operations are completed, MSG-3 will be
handed over to the satellite’s owner, the European Organisation for the
Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites – EUMETSAT – to commission the
payload.
After commissioning, when MSG-3 has become Meteosat-10, it will be
stationed at 0° longitude, over the Gulf of Guinea on the Equator, in
geostationary orbit, where its speed precisely matches Earth’s rotation.
“Tonight’s launch allows EUMETSAT and ESA to continue providing
Europeans with high quality observations of weather from space, with
MSG-3 being especially valuable in rapid detection and warning of
extreme weather situations,” said ESA’s Director General, Jean-Jacques
Dordain.
“For more than three decades now, the exemplary cooperation between ESA
and EUMETSAT has been the basis of the success of the Meteosat and
EPS/Metop programmes.
“These programmes have ensured high-quality weather forecasts, the
successive generations have improved these forecasts and they have
brought tangible economic benefits for and improving the daily life of
every European. Two generations have now been developed by ESA and
EUMETSAT.”
“MSG-3 ensures the continuity of the present service. Together with
EUMETSAT, ESA is working on the development of the next series of
weather satellites, Meteosat Third Generation”, said ESA’s Director of
Earth Observation, Volker Liebig.
“Once operational at the end of this decade, this next generation will
provide a quantum leap in terms of technology and performance, providing
among others faster imaging, more spectral channels and an atmospheric
sounding capability allowing for the measurements of trace gas
profiles.”
ESA’s role in weather and climate watch is not limited to the Meteosat
series of satellites. It has also developed the MetOp series of
polar-orbiting weather satellites - also operated by EUMETSAT - planned
to be followed by the MetOp Second Generation series– to be submitted to
the ESA Ministerial Council in November for approval.
The second MetOp is at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, ready for launch on 19 September.
About Meteosat Second Generation
MSG is a joint programme undertaken by ESA and EUMETSAT. ESA is
responsible for the development of satellites fulfilling user and system
requirements defined by EUMETSAT and of the procurement of recurrent
satellites on its behalf. ESA also performs the Launch and Early Orbit
Phase operations required to place the spacecraft in geostationary
orbit, before handing it over to EUMETSAT for exploitation.
EUMETSAT develops all ground systems required to deliver products and
services to users and to respond to their evolving needs, procures
launch services and operates the full system for the benefit of users.
MSG-3 is the third in a series of four satellites introduced in 2002.
These spin-stabilised satellites carry the primary Spinning Enhanced
Visible and Infrared Imager, or SEVIRI.
SEVIRI focuses on Europe and Africa to deliver enhanced weather
coverage, in order to improve local forecasts, in particular for rapidly
developing storms. It scans Earth’s surface and atmosphere every 15
minutes in 12 different wavelengths, to track cloud development and
measure temperatures.
SEVIRI can pick out features as small as a kilometre across in the visible bands, and three kilometres in the infrared.
In addition to its weather-watching mission and collection of climate records, MSG-3 has two secondary payloads.
The Global Earth Radiation Budget sensor will measure the amount of
solar energy that is radiated back into space to determine how much
energy is introduced into the climate system and to provide insights
into the atmospheric circulation between the day and night sides.
A Search & Rescue transponder will turn the satellite into a relay
for distress signals from emergency beacons.
The MSG satellites were built in Cannes, France, by a European
industrial team led by Thales Alenia Space, France. More than 50
subcontractors from 13 European countries are involved.
The last of the series, MSG-4, is planned for launch in 2015.
About the European Space Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA) is 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 19 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxem-bourg, the
Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and
the United Kingdom, of whom 17 are Member States of the EU. ESA has
Cooperation Agreements with nine other Member States of the EU and is
negotiating an Agreement with the one remaining (Bulgaria). Poland is in
the process of becoming ESA’s 20th Member State. 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.
ESA develops the launchers, spacecraft and ground facilities needed to
keep Europe at the forefront of global space activities. Today it
launches satellites for Earth observation, navigation,
telecommunications and astronomy, sends probes to the far reaches of the
Solar System and cooperates in the human exploration of space.
For further information, please contact:
ESA Media Relations Office
ESA
Guillermo Gonzalo Sánchez Achutegui
ayabaca@gmail.com
ayabaca@hotmail.com
ayabaca@yahoo.com
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