MSG-2 to provide new data on weather and climate change
A second satellite from Europe's new generation of weather satellites was launched successfully on 21 December. The Meteosat satellite, developed on behalf of EUMETSAT with support from the European Space Agency, will enable the monitoring of the Earth's atmosphere above Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Atlantic Ocean. 'MSG-2 improves today the provision of essential data and information for operational weather forecast and sustainable development,' said Volker Liebig, ESA's Director of Earth Observation programmes. The satellite's radiometer SEVIRI (spinning enhanced visible and infrared imager) works by observing the Earth in 12 spectral bands, and delivering pictures every 15 minutes. The pictures are in visible light, infrared and at water vapour wavelength, and have a ground resolution of one kilometre. They are able to provide ten times more data than the satellites in the original series, and allow scientists to closely monitor evolving weather phenomena such as storms, blizzards and fog. A first picture is expected to be released in late January. Also included in the payload is the Global Earth Radiation Budget (GERB) radiometer, which will measure the amount of solar radiation reflected into space by the Earth and atmosphere. The result will be new, vital information about global climate change. The new satellites are also much larger than their predecessors: 3.22 metres in diameter, and 3.74 metres high. Weighing in at two metric tons at launch, the MSGs are two and a half times heavier than the old satellites, although half of this is propellant for reaching the operational orbit, and keeping it there for seven years.