MTG-I1

MTG-I1
	MTG-I1 Satellite before launch
Mission type	Meteorology
Operator	ESA, EUMETSAT
COSPAR ID	2022-170C
SATCAT no.	54743
Website	MTG (ESA)
Mission duration	Planned: 8.5 years
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	MTG-I
Bus	SmallGEO
Manufacturer	Thales Alenia Space
Launch mass	3,760 kg (8,290 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	13 December 2022, 20:30 UTC
Rocket	Ariane 5 ECA (VA-259)
Launch site	Kourou ELA-3
Contractor	Arianespace
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	GEO
	Meteosat

MTG-I1, officially designated Meteosat-12 upon entering operational service, is the first of four imaging satellite of the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) system developed by EUMETSAT in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA). Launched on 13 December 2022,^[4] it became fully operational on 7 January 2024,^[5]^[6] replacing MSG-4 as the prime geostationary meteorological satellite over Europe and Africa.^[1]^[7]^[8]^[9]

Timeline

Development

In November 2010, ESA awarded a contract to Astrium (now part of Airbus Defence and Space) to develop and build four MTG-I satellites. At the time, the launches were expected to happen in 2017.^[10]
In November 2012, ESA and EUMETSAT signed an agreement to cooperate on MTG Program.^[11]

Launch campaign

In March 2022, MTG-I1 satellite had completed all functional and environmental tests and was pronounced ready for transport to the launch site.^[12]
On 29 September 2022, the MTG-I1 satellite left Marseille on board the MN Toucan cargo ship and arrived at Kourou on 18 October.^[13]^[14]
On 6 December 2022, ESA announced that the MTG-I1 satellite would launch no earlier than 13 July 2022, 20:30 UTC^[4]
On 12 December 2022, Arianespace rolled out the Ariane 5 carrying the MTG-I1 satellite and two other satellites (Galaxy-35 & 36 for Intelsat) to the pad.^[15]
Ariane 5 with the MTG-I1 satellite launched on 13 December 2022 at 20:20 UTC toward geostationary transfer orbit.^[16]^[17]

In orbit

In May 2023, ESA published first preliminary images from the MTG-I1 mission.^[18]

Gallery: launch

Artistic Representation of MTG-I1 on Ariane 5 during liftoff
Artistic Representation of MTG-I1 on Ariane 5 during booster separation
Artistic Representation of MTG-I1 on Ariane 5 during fairing separation
Artistic Representation of MTG-I1 on Ariane 5 during core stage separation and upper stage ignition
Artistic Representation of MTG-I1 on Ariane 5 during Sylda separation
Artistic Representation of MTG-I1 during spacecraft separation
Artistic Representation of MTG-I1 during solar array
Artistic Representation of MTG-I spacecraft

Gallery: results

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "MTG-I 1, 2, 3, 4 (Meteosat 12, 14, 15, 17)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
^ "MTG-S 1, 2 (Meteosat 13, 16 / Sentinel 4A, 4B)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
^ "MTG". Retrieved 2022-01-18.
^ ^a ^b "MTG-I1 never to be seen again". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
^ "Europe's most advanced weather satellite is now fully operational | EUMETSAT". www.eumetsat.int. 2024-04-12. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
^ "Discover the first images of MTG-I1 | EUMETSAT". www.eumetsat.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
^ "Facts and figures". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
^ "WMO OSCAR | Satellite: Meteosat-12". space.oscar.wmo.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
^ "Introducing MTG". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
^ "Development of Meteosat Third Generation to start". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
^ "Meteosat Third Generation agreement signed at Ministerial meeting". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
^ "MTG-I weather satellite passes tests in preparation for liftoff". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
^ "Europe's new weather satellite sets sail". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
^ "Europe's all-new weather satellite arrives at launch site". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
^ "MTG-I1 rolled out and good to go". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
^ "A new era of weather forecasting begins". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
^ "Galaxy 35 & 36, MTG-I1 | Ariane 5 ECA | Next Spaceflight". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
^ "New weather satellite reveals spectacular images of Earth". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.

[:0-1] "MTG-I 1, 2, 3, 4 (Meteosat 12, 14, 15, 17)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2025-10-29.

[2] "MTG-S 1, 2 (Meteosat 13, 16 / Sentinel 4A, 4B)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2025-10-07.

[3] "MTG". Retrieved 2022-01-18.

[:1-4] "MTG-I1 never to be seen again". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.

[5] "Europe's most advanced weather satellite is now fully operational | EUMETSAT". www.eumetsat.int. 2024-04-12. Retrieved 2025-10-29.

[6] "Discover the first images of MTG-I1 | EUMETSAT". www.eumetsat.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.

[7] "Facts and figures". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-07.

[8] "WMO OSCAR | Satellite: Meteosat-12". space.oscar.wmo.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.

[9] "Introducing MTG". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.

[10] "Development of Meteosat Third Generation to start". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.

[11] "Meteosat Third Generation agreement signed at Ministerial meeting". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.

[12] "MTG-I weather satellite passes tests in preparation for liftoff". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.

[13] "Europe's new weather satellite sets sail". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.

[14] "Europe's all-new weather satellite arrives at launch site". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.

[15] "MTG-I1 rolled out and good to go". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.

[16] "A new era of weather forecasting begins". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.

[17] "Galaxy 35 & 36, MTG-I1 | Ariane 5 ECA | Next Spaceflight". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 2025-10-29.

[18] "New weather satellite reveals spectacular images of Earth". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-29.

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← 2021 Orbital launches in 2022 2023 →
January	Starlink G4-5 (49 satellites) ION-SCV 004 (LabSat, STORK-1, STORK-2, SW1FT), Capella 7, Capella 8, ICEYE X14, ICEYE X16, USA-320, USA-321, USA-322, USA-323, DEWA SAT-1, Flock 4x × 44, Kepler × 4, Lemur-2 × 5, Nepal PQ-1 Lemur-2 Krywe, STORK-3, TechEdSat-13, Unicorn-1, Unicorn-2 × 4 Shiyan 13 Starlink G4-6 (49 satellites) USA-324 / GSSAP-5, USA-325 / GSSAP-6 CSG-2
February	USA-326 Starlink G4-7 (49 satellites) Kosmos 2553 / Neitron №1 OneWeb L13 (34 satellites) EOS-04 / RISAT-1A Progress MS-19 Cygnus NG-17 (IHI-SAT, KITSUNE) Starlink G4-8 (46 satellites) Starlink G4-11 (50 satellites) Jilin-1 Gaofen-03D × 9, Jilin-1 Mofang-02A 01
March	GOES-18 / GOES-T Starlink G4-9 (47 satellites) Noor 2 Starlink G4-10 (48 satellites) SpaceBEE × 16, SpaceBEE NZ × 4 Yaogan 34-02 Soyuz MS-21 Starlink G4-12 (53 satellites) Meridian-M 10
April	ION-SCV 005 (KSF2 × 4), EnMAP, Lynk Tower 01, MP42 / Tiger-3, ÑuSat × 5, SpaceBEE × 12 Gaofen 3-03 Kosmos 2554 / Lotos-S1 №5 Axiom Mission 1 ChinaSat 6D USA-327 / NOSS-3 9A, NOSS-3 9B Starlink G4-14 (53 satellites) SpaceX Crew-4 Kosmos 2555 / EO MKA №2 Starlink G4-16 (53 satellites) Jilin-1 Gaofen-03D × 4, Jilin-1 Gaofen-04A
May	SpaceBEE × 16, SpaceBEE NZ × 8, Unicorn-2F Jilin-1 Kuanfu-01C, Jilin-1 Gaofen-03D × 7 Starlink G4-17 (53 satellites) Tianzhou 4 Jilin-1 Mofang-01A† Starlink G4-13 (53 satellites) Starlink G4-15 (53 satellites) Starlink G4-18 (53 satellites) Kosmos 2556 / Bars-M 3L Boe OFT-2 ION-SCV 006 (SBUDNIC), SHERPA AC1, Vigoride-3, ICEYE × 5, ÑuSat × 4, Lemur-2 × 5, Platform 1, PTD-3
June	Progress MS-20 Shenzhou 14 TROPICS 02†, TROPICS 04† Starlink G4-19 (53 satellites) CMS-02 or GSAT-24 Yaogan 35-02 (3 satellites) CAPSTONE
July	USA-337 Kosmos 2557 / GLONASS-K 16L Starlink G4-21 (53 satellites) Starlink G3-1 (46 satellites) Tianlian II-03 SpaceX CRS-25 (TUMnanoSAT) Starlink G4-22 (53 satellites) Starlink G3-2 (46 satellites) Wentian Starlink G4-25 (53 satellites) Yaogan 35-03 (3 satellites)
August	Kosmos 2558 / Nivelir №3 USA-335 / RASR-4 USA-336 / SBIRS GEO-6 Chinese reusable experimental spacecraft Danuri EOS-02 / Microsat-2A†, AzaadiSAT† Starlink G4-26 (52 satellites) Jilin-1 Gaofen-03D × 10, Jilin-1 Hongwai-01A × 6 Starlink G3-3 (46 satellites) Yaogan 35-04 (3 satellites) Starlink G4-27 (53 satellites) Starlink G4-23 (54 satellites) Starlink G3-4 (46 satellites)
September	Yaogan 33-02 Starlink G4-20 (51 satellites) Yaogan 35-05 (3 satellites) Eutelsat Konnect VHTS Starlink G4-2 (34 satellites) ChinaSat 1E Starlink G4-34 (54 satellites) Soyuz MS-22 KH-11 19/NROL-91 Shiyan 14, Shiyan 15 Starlink G4-35 (52 satellites) Yaogan 36-01 (3 satellites) Shiyan 16A, Shiyan 16B, Shiyan 17
October	TechEdSat-15 SES-20, SES-21 SpaceX Crew-5 Starlink G4-29 (52 satellites) Galaxy 33, Galaxy 34 GLONASS-K 17L RAISE-3†, KOSEN-2†, MAGNARO†, MITSUBA†, WASEDA-SAT-ZERO† Huanjing 2E Yaogan 36-02 (3 satellites) Hotbird 13F Starlink G4-36 (54 satellites) OneWeb L14 (36 satellites) Gonets-M × 3 Progress MS-21 Starlink G4-31 (53 satellites) Shiyan 20C Mengtian
November	LDPE-2, USA-339 / Shepherd Demonstration, USA-340, USA-341, USA-344 / USUVL Kosmos 2563 / EKS-6 Hotbird 13G MATS ChinaSat 19 Cygnus NG-18 (SpaceTuna1) NOAA-21, LOFTID Yunhai-3 01 Tianzhou 5 Galaxy 31, Galaxy 32 Yaogan 34-03 Jilin-1 Gaofen-03D × 5 Artemis I (ArgoMoon, BioSentinel, CuSP, EQUULEUS, LunaH-Map, Lunar IceCube, LunIR, Near-Earth Asteroid Scout, OMOTENASHI, Team Miles) Eutelsat 10B EOS-06 / Oceansat-3, Astrocast × 4 SpaceX CRS-26 Yaogan 36-03 (3 satellites) Kosmos 2564 / GLONASS-M 761 Shenzhou 15 Kosmos 2565 / Lotos-S1 №6 (Kosmos 2566) Oceansat-3
December	Gaofen 5-01A OneWeb L15 (40 satellites) Jilin-1 Gaofen-03D × 7, Jilin-1 Pingtai-01A 01 Hakuto-R Mission 1 (Rashid), Lunar Flashlight Shiyan 20A, Shiyan 20B Galaxy 35, Galaxy 36, MTG-I1 Yaogan 36-04 (3 satellites) Shiyan 21 SWOT O3b mPOWER 1, O3b mPOWER 2 Starlink G4-37 (54 satellites) Pléiades Neo 5†, Pléiades Neo 6† Gaofen 11-04 Starlink G5-1 (54 satellites) Shiyan 10-02 EROS-C3
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).