EUMETSAT Takes Control of Europe’s First Geostationary Sounder Satellite

DARMSTADT, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 21, 2025--

After more than two weeks of complex manoeuvring, precise positioning and meticulous checks, EUMETSAT assumed control of the Meteosat Third Generation Sounder 1 (MTG-S1) spacecraft on 18 July 2025, the latest addition to its fleet of geostationary meteorological satellites.

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Following MTG-S1’s successful launch on 1 July 2025, the satellite, which carries the Infrared Sounder (IRS) and the European Union’s Copernicus Sentinel-4 mission, has completed its launch and early operations phase (LEOP) and is now in orbit around 36,000km above the Equator at 3.4°W longitude.

MTG-S1 will now begin months of intensive testing by experts at EUMETSAT with partners from the European Space Agency (ESA) and in industry to prepare for the delivery of vital data and products to specialists across EUMETSAT member states and beyond. Once fully commissioned, the satellite will deliver entirely new streams of atmospheric sounding data, enabling national meteorological services to deliver earlier and more accurate warnings that will save lives and protect property and infrastructure.

“The successful completion of the LEOP confirms that the MTG-S1 satellite platform is functioning as expected and ready for the next stage,” said Julia Hunter-Anderson, EUMETSAT’s Meteosat Third Generation LEOP Manager. “Taking control of the satellite in a healthy condition marks a major milestone for EUMETSAT and our partners. This achievement is the culmination of the immense dedication and hard work of hundreds of people over many years.

“For EUMETSAT, it is also the beginning of another journey: together with ESA and industry to commission the satellite and prepare its remarkable instruments to deliver critical near-real-time sounding data and products. These observations will inform decision makers, help protect societies, improve lives and livelihoods, and enhance how we monitor the climate and forecast weather across our member states and beyond.”

For further updates on MTG-S1, visit EUMETSAT’s launch hub, which features news, interviews, and insights into the satellite’s journey.

Find all relevant information, biographies of speakers, videos and testimonials on our dedicated press page.

About EUMETSAT

EUMETSAT, Europe’s meteorological satellite agency, monitors the weather and climate from space. Based in Darmstadt, Germany, EUMETSAT provides its 30 member states with meteorological imagery and data that are essential for keeping their communities safe and for the benefit of critical sectors of their economies.

For more information: EUMETSAT.

MTG-S1 in orbit

A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh, local officials said Sunday.

A young woman died overnight in a hospital intensive care unit after debris from a drone fell on a house during the attack on Saturday, regional Gov. Alexander Gusev said on Telegram.

Three other people were wounded and more than 10 apartment buildings, private houses and a high school were damaged, he said, adding that air defenses shot down 17 drones over Voronezh. The city is home to just over 1 million people and lies some 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The attack came the day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, killing at least four people in the capital Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.

For only the second time in the nearly four-year war, Russia used a powerful new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in a clear warning to Kyiv and NATO.

The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further aggression by Moscow if a U.S.-led peace deal is struck.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday in his nightly address that Ukrainian negotiators “continue to communicate with the American side.”

Chief negotiator Rustem Umerov was in contact with U.S. partners Saturday, he said.

Separately, Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia targeted Ukraine with 154 drones overnight into Sunday and 125 were shot down.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

This photo provided by the Ukrainian Security Service on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, shows a fragment believed to be a part of a Russian Oreshnik intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile that hit the Lviv region. (Ukrainian Security Service via AP)

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second left, listens to British Defense Secretary John Healey during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)