ESA hands over control of the MSG-4 weather satellite to EUMETSAT
On 26 July at 11:30 CEST, EUMETSAT took control of Europe’s last Meteosat Second Generation weather satellite, MSG-4.
05 November 2024
27 July 2015
This follows the successful launch of the satellite on 15 July aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, and the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) carried out by ESA’s European Space Operations Centre, ESOC, on EUMETSAT’s behalf.
During the last 11 days, the satellite was moved into geostationary orbit, the various components which make up the satellite’s platform were activated and their functionality checked. This included a number of critical manoeuvres like the firing of the apogee motors, the change of spacecraft orientation and the unlocking of the SEVIRI (Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager) scan mirror.
Following handover, EUMETSAT will now begin commissioning the satellite and its sensors. Commissioning consists of a two-month phase of satellite check-out and assessment, followed by four months for imaging and product testing, including calibration and validation. After commissioning, MSG-4 will be stored in orbit.
The release of the first image generated by the SEVIRI imager on board MSG-4 in some eight days will be an important milestone.
