BackForward Satellite Programme: Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) 

Programme details
Programme description
  • Series of four operational meteorological satellites in geostationary orbit.
  • Follow-on of the Meteosat Operational Programme (MOP).  Main improvements: more performing imager and introduction of radiation budget observation.
  • European programme: ESA responsible of the development of the space segment, EUMETSAT responsible of the mission requirements definition, the development of the ground segment and the full system operation.
  • The platform is inertially stabilised by spin.
  • The design life time of the satellites is 5 years.
  • The replacement policy is based on one operational satellite at 0° longitude and a hot standby in a close position, possibly used for, e.g., very frequent images of limited areas.
  • Possible spare satellites may be used for contingency purposes.
  • See detailed description at Eumetsat/MSG
Data circulation
  • PGS (Primary Ground Station) to acquire all data, pre-process and re-broadcast within tenths of minutes.
  • HRIT (High Rate Information Transmission) for full-resolution image dissemination in near-real time.
  • LRIT (Low Rate Information Transmission) for broadcasting of image frames and other data.
  • DCS (Data Collection System) to relay messages from self-timed Data Collection Platforms (DCP) to the PGS by a dedicated link.
  • GEOS&R (Geostationary Search & Rescue) to relay emergency signals to Local User Terminals (LUT).
  • MDD (Meteorological Data Distribution) to relay processed data generated at European meteorological centres (up to four).
  • EUMETCast [not exclusive of MSG], to disseminate all sort of satellite data by commercial satellites.
Agencies EUMETSAT , ESA
Programme lifetime 2002 - 2033
Associated satellites and instruments

Note: red tag => no longer operational , green tag => operational , blue tag => planned