Meteosat-7/MOP-4

Meteosat-7/MOP-4

Flight spare of the Meteosat-7 weather satellite. This is the same as the actual Meteosat-7 satellite, which was launched in 1997 and operated by EUMETSAT (European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites).

Orbiting high above the Indian Ocean, Meteosat-7 provided real time images of Earth’s weather systems for use by European weather forecasters. Sending back images using visible light, infrared and water vapour spectral channels, it helped to monitor tropical cyclones and was used as part of the Tsunami Warning System for the Indian Ocean.

Weather satellites provide total coverage of the Earth, to ensure that severe weather systems are constantly monitored – helping to save lives with early warnings and improve weather forecasting. The first Meteosat, Meteosat-1, was launched in 1977, and the last of this generation, Meteosat-7, was launched 20 years later in 1997. This satellite on display at the National Space Centre is not a model; it is a back-up satellite that was never launched, but is capable of being fully-functional. Advances in technology and the increasing sophistication of weather forecasting requirements have created a demand for more frequent, more accurate and higher resolution observations from space. To meet this demand, EUMETSAT launched a new series of even more advanced weather satellites known as Meteosat Second Generation (MSG-2). Meteosat-7 was retired from service in 2017 and moved to a graveyard orbit.

Video

Web resources

• EUMETSAT YouTube Videos