Supporting weather forecasts and models
European Commission, Directorate-General Enterprise & Industry Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) initiative has published a press release titled: A step forward for the construction of the Meteosat Third Generation weather satellites.
The announcement states:
“On 19 March 2010 it was announced that Thales Alenia Space (European leader in satellite systems) will launch negotiations for the construction of Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) satellites, on behalf of EUMETSAT (the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites). This followed the selection by ESA of the proposal submitted by Thales Alenia Space France, as prime contractor, in cooperation with the German manufacturer OHB.
If the negotiations are successful, the Executive will submit the contract proposal to ESA’s Industrial Policy Committee for approval and decision by the Member States participating in the MTG programme. This is foreseen for June.
The MTG programme, aiming to improve the accuracy in weather forecasts and models, comprises six satellites – four imaging satellites and two with atmospheric sounders. The imaging satellites will deliver one image every 10 minutes, and will operate in 16 bandwidths, while the sounders will be used to determine temperature and humidity profiles in vertical atmospheric columns. MTG satellites will also carry an ultraviolet sounder payload, developed within the scope of GMES to analyse the constituent gases in the atmosphere. The first MTG is expected to be launched in 2016.”
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