This image may not be used to state or imply ESA endorsement of any company or product MSG weather satellite launch. Illustration of a Meteosat Second

---

This image may not be used to state or imply ESA endorsement of any company or product MSG weather satellite launch. Illustration of a Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite separating from the Ariane 5 rocket upper stage used to boost it into Earth orbit. This is MSG-4, one of the weather satellites operated by EUMETSAT (European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites). The MSG program began with the launch of MSG-1 (Meteosat-8) on 28 August 2002, followed by the launch of MSG-2 (Meteosat-9) on 21 December 2005. Both were launched by an Ariane 5 rocket, and both are currently in geostationary orbits over Africa. Following these, the launches of MSG-3 and MSG-4 took place in 2012 and 2015. The four MSG satellites are also known as Meteosat-8, Meteosat-9, Meteosat-10 and Meteosat-11.

---

Size: 3501px × 2626px
Photo credit: © D. Ducros/EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: -, 21st, 5, 15, 2015, agency, ariane, artwork, ascending, ascent, century, earth, eumetsat, european, exploitation, generation, illustration, jettison, jettisoning, july, launch, launching, limb, machine, meteorological, meteorology, meteosat, meteosat-11, msg, msg-4, observation, orbit, orbiting, organisation, planet, planetary, release, releasing, research, rocket, sat, satellite, separation, space, spaceflight, stage, technological, technology, upper, weather