MTG-I2 Poised for Liftoff as Ariane 6 Carries Europe’s Next-Gen Weather Satellite

MTG-I2, the Meteosat Third Generation-Imager-2 satellite, has been encapsulated inside the Ariane 6 fairing and is on the launch pad in French Guiana for liftoff on 27 August; the fairing is closed, the upper segment hoisted onto the launcher, and the Mobile Gantry will roll away before countdown. After extensive testing in Cannes and transport to the spaceport, MTG-I2 will orbit for at least eight and a half years and will provide high‑resolution atmospheric data every 2.5 minutes to improve weather forecasts over Europe and northern Africa, aiding early warnings for severe storms and heavy rain. VA270 marks Ariane 6’s ninth launch, placing MTG-I2 into geostationary transfer orbit; the mission is led by ESA, built by Thales Alenia Space with OHB System and Leonardo, and operated by EUMETSAT after commissioning.