Paris, 24 feb ( EFE).-the European Space Agency (ESA) reported today that in 2017 premiering the third generation of meteorological satellites Meteosat, which will ensure that project with significant improvements services.
The ESA made this announcement on the reason of the firm today in Paris of the contract with the company Thales Alenia Space, main partner in the industrial consortium that will develop this new family of satellites, which are expected to ensure the provision of meteorological information and images of high definition than 2037.
The Meteosat third generation (MTG) programme is the fruit of the cooperation of ESA with EUMETSAT, the European Consortium for the exploitation of meteorological satellites, and follows the wake began in 1977 with the first generation of these instruments.
The new MTG series includes six satellites and the launch of the first two prototypes is scheduled, according to the release, for late 2017 to mid 2019, respectively.
In addition to provide images of high definition with the FCI (Flexible Combined Imager) camera, those satellites will have the latest survey technologies infrared and global detection of lightning, which will facilitate an early warning of the development of temporary.
Satellites will also be a Sentinel 4 load for Earth observation GMES programme (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security), with which the Meteosat may analyze atmospheric chemistry and identify concentrations of gases such as ozone and nitrogen dioxide.
The mortgage offer addition support for the satellites of the COSPAS-SARSAT rescue system and of the advanced system of the collection of data (ADCS).
This programme, valued at more than 1.25 billion euros, “offers many opportunities to European companies to win substantial contracts in the field of high technology,” said ESA director responsible for programmes in Earth observation, Volker Liebig. EFE
