Europe’s next generation of weather satellites set for launch

The first of a new generation of European weather satellites is to launch on Tuesday, aiming to provide 50 times more data than is currently possible so that meteorologists can increase the accuracy of their forecasts, particularly of imminent storms. The €4.3bn Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) system will consist of three satellites in geostationary orbit positioned 36,000km above the equator over Africa. They will provide images of Europe every two and a half minutes, including the first comprehensive observations of lightning from space. More

(Source: Financial Times - Dec 12)