4 days ago

Teledyne Space Imaging Detector Launches Aboard MTG-I2 Meteorological Satellite

Teledyne Space Imaging has announced the successful launch of the Meteosat Third Generation Imager-2 (MTG-I2) satellite, carrying its CIS111 detector as part of the spacecraft’s Flexible Combined Imager (FCI) instrument.

MTG-I2 launched aboard an Ariane 6 rocket at 21:11 BST on August 27 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The satellite is the second imaging spacecraft in the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) programme operated by EUMETSAT. The MTG system is designed to provide more detailed and more frequent observations of Earth from geostationary orbit, supporting meteorological forecasting, severe-weather monitoring and long-term climate studies.

CIS111 at the Heart of the Flexible Combined Imager

The FCI is designed to deliver frequent, high-resolution observations of Earth from geostationary orbit. At its core is Teledyne Space Imaging’s CIS111, described as a five-channel, large-pixel, programmable and radiation-hardened integrated sensor assembly.

The detector uses unusually large rhombus-shaped pixels measuring up to 100 × 100 micrometres, rather than the conventional square pixel architecture commonly used in imaging sensors. According to Teledyne, this configuration was developed specifically to meet the imaging requirements of MTG-I2.

The CIS111 also incorporates a proprietary black-coating process intended to minimise internal reflections and improve image performance. Jérôme Pratlong, designer of the CIS111 and Head of Strategy & Technology at Teledyne Space Imaging, said the detector was engineered to balance performance, reliability and radiation resilience for continuous Earth observation from geostationary orbit.

Improved Weather Monitoring

MTG-I2 is part of a new generation of European meteorological satellites designed to provide more frequent and detailed observations than previous Meteosat systems. The constellation is intended to help forecasters monitor the development of severe weather events in near real time, while also improving inputs for numerical weather prediction models.

One of the programme’s capabilities is continuous lightning detection across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and surrounding waters. This can contribute to earlier warnings of severe weather and provide additional information for monitoring atmospheric conditions.

The data generated by the system is also expected to support climate monitoring, disaster response, aviation safety and wider environmental services.

MTG-I2 follows MTG-I1, now designated Meteosat-12, which was launched in December 2022. The two satellites form part of the broader Meteosat Third Generation architecture being developed to improve Europe’s geostationary meteorological observation capabilities.

According to Teledyne, MTG-I2 is the second of four planned MTG Imager satellites. The remaining two satellites are currently scheduled for launch in 2032 and 2036.

As the constellation expands, the combination of advanced imaging sensors and geostationary coverage is expected to provide meteorological agencies with a more continuous stream of high-resolution observations for weather forecasting, environmental monitoring and climate science.

The MTG-I2 mission also marks another contribution from Teledyne Space Imaging to the Meteosat programme, following its involvement with MTG-I1. The company says its space-imaging heritage extends across more than 250 space projects, supplying CCD, CMOS and infrared detector technologies for scientific, Earth-observation and other space missions.