Source report. MTG-I2 has been handed to EUMETSAT, but commissioning comes before routine weather service.
Source: European Space Agency. Original source published 9 September 2026. Published on Alder Atlas: 14 September 2026.
From launch to its observing position
ESA reported on 9 September that Meteosat Third Generation Imager 2 had reached its final geostationary orbit, about 36,000 kilometres above Earth. The satellite launched on an Ariane 6 from French Guiana on 27 August.
An expanding constellation
MTG-I2 joins the earlier MTG-I1 and MTG-S1 spacecraft in Europe’s new weather-satellite system. Its position allows it to observe the same broad part of Earth continuously as the planet turns. ESA handed responsibility to EUMETSAT on 8 September.
Checks before forecasts
Reaching orbit is an engineering milestone, not the start of fully commissioned operational service. Instruments and data products still need checking. For users of weather information, the important next development will be the move from those checks to reliable observations used routinely by forecasters.
Sources & further reading
This is an independently worded, source-based report prepared with AI assistance for the Alder Atlas editorial project. It is not first-hand reporting.