MTG-S1

MTG-S1 (Meteosat Third Generation Sounder 1) carries two instruments: the Infrared Sounder (IRS), Europe's first hyperspectral sounder in geostationary orbit, which profiles atmospheric temperature and humidity over Europe every 30 minutes to support numerical weather prediction; and the Copernicus Sentinel-4 UVN spectrometer, the first instrument to continuously monitor European air quality from geostationary orbit, measuring hourly concentrations of pollutants including nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and sulfur dioxide over Europe and North Africa. The mission also marks the first satellite jointly operated by EUMETSAT and the European Commission under the Copernicus programme.

MTG-S1 was originally contracted to fly on Ariane 6, but EUMETSAT's council voted in June 2024 to reassign the launch to SpaceX, citing "exceptional circumstances" and schedule urgency while declining to disclose the specific reason. The decision drew sharp public criticism from the head of France's CNES space agency.