MTG-S1/Sentinel-4A

MTG-S1/Sentinel-4A
Artistic Representation of MTG-S1/Sentinel-4A Satellite
Mission typeMeteorology/Earth observation
OperatorESA, EUMETSAT
COSPAR ID2025-143A
SATCAT no.64723
WebsiteMTG (ESA)
Sentinel-4 (ESA)
Mission duration8.5 years (planned)[1]
5 months, 21 days (elapsed)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeMTG-S
BusSmallGEO[2]
ManufacturerThales Alenia Space
Launch mass3,800 kg (8,400 lb)[3]
Start of mission
Launch date1 July 2025, 21:04 (2025-07-01UTC21:04) UTC
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5 (F9-499)
Launch siteKennedy LC-39A
ContractorSpaceX
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeGEO[4]

MTG-S1/Sentinel-4A , officially designated Meteosat-13 upon entering operational service, is a European Meteorology and Earth Observation satellite. It is the first of two satellites in the Sentinel-4 constellation, part of the European Union's Copernicus programme on Earth observation and also one of two Meteosat Third Generation-Sounder (MTG-S) spacecraft.[5][6][7][8][9]

Timeline

Development

  • In July 2011, ESA awarded a contract to Astrium (now part of Airbus Defence and Space) to develop and build two Sentinel-4 instruments to be carried on MTG-S satellites. At the time, the launches were expected to happen in 2019 and 2027.[10]
  • In February 2023, the Sentinel-4 instrument module, containing the UVN spectrometer, was shipped from Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the UK to OHB in Germany.[11]
  • In August 2023, the three MTG-S instruments (Sentinel 4, RMU and IRS) were installed on the MTG-S1 satellite at OHB's facilities in Germany.[12]

Launch campaign

  • In July 2024, the MTG-S1 satellite successfully passed its environmental test campaign at IABG’s facilities near Munich.[13]
  • In February 2025, the MTG-S1 satellite had completed all functional and environmental tests in Bremen and was pronounced ready for transport to the launch site.[14]
  • On 23 April 2025, the MTG-S1 satellite left Bremen on board the MN Colibri cargo ship and arrived at Cape Canaveral on 6 May.[15] It was later transported to the AstroTech facilities cleanroom.[16]
  • On 26 June 2025, ESA announced that the MTG-S1 satellite would launch no earlier than 1 July 2025, 21:03 UTC with a launch window of 2 hours.[17]
  • Falcon 9 B1085 with the MTG-S1 satellite and the Sentinel-4A instrument launched on 1 July 2025 at 21:04 UTC toward geostationary transfer orbit.[18][19][20] The satellite separated from the rocket's upper stage approximately 35 minutes after liftoff and begun its 17-day transfer period. After reaching its position in a geostationary Earth orbit, the satellite undergoes a commissioning period of 9 to 12 months.[21]

In orbit

  • MTG-S1 Launches from Kennedy Space Center
  • MTG-S1 Launches from KSC (2)
  • MTG-S1 Launches from KSC (3)
  • MTG-S1 Launches from KSC (4)
  • Launch of MTG-S1 seen by GOES-18, GOES-19
  • Europe and North Africa from Sentinel-4A
  • First image of ozone from Sentinel-4A
  • First image of sulphur dioxide from Sentinel-4A
  • Cloud cover over Europe on 8 October 2025
  • First image of nitrogen dioxide from Sentinel-4A

See also

References

  1. ^ "MTG-S 1, 2 (Meteosat 13, 16 / Sentinel 4A, 4B)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  2. ^ "MTG-S 1, 2 (Meteosat 13, 16 / Sentinel 4A, 4B)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  3. ^ "MTG-S 1, 2 (Meteosat 13, 16 / Sentinel 4A, 4B)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  4. ^ "ESA - Sentinel-4". Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  5. ^ "MTG-S 1, 2 (Meteosat 13, 16 / Sentinel 4A, 4B)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  6. ^ "Sentinel-4 A Satellite Mission Summary | CEOS Database". database.eohandbook.com. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  7. ^ "MTG-S1 and Sentinel-4 launch to change how we see our atmosphere". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  8. ^ "Copernicus: Sentinel-4 - eoPortal". www.eoportal.org. Archived from the original on 2024-09-19. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  9. ^ "Facts and figures". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  10. ^ "Astrium to build ESA's Sentinel-4 atmospheric sensors". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  11. ^ "Sentinel-4 set to join next weather satellite". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  12. ^ "Putting the S in the first Meteosat Third Generation Sounder". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  13. ^ "Weather satellite passes bake and shake tests with flying colours". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  14. ^ "Two atmospheric missions on one satellite". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  15. ^ "MTG-S1 and Sentinel-4 take a step closer to space". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  16. ^ "MTG-S and Sentinel-4 undergo pre-launch manoeuvres". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  17. ^ "Watch MTG-S1 and Sentinel-4 launch live". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  18. ^ Wall, Mike (2025-07-01). "SpaceX launches advanced European weather satellite, lands rocket at sea (video, photos)". Space. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
  19. ^ "MTG-S1 and Copernicus Sentinel-4 launch from Florida". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
  20. ^ "Falcon 9 Block 5 | MTG-S1/Sentinel-4A". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
  21. ^ Robinson-Smith, Will (1 July 2025). "EUMETSAT, ESA launches combo MTG-S1, Sentinel-4 satellite on SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
  22. ^ "Another milestone for the future of European weather observation". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
  23. ^ "Sentinel-4 offers first glimpses of air pollutants". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
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