ArianespaceAriane 62Ariane Launch Area 4, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
MTG-I2
Launched
August 27, 2026 · 20:11 UTC
Image: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/ArianeGroup/Optique vidéo du CSG–S. Martin
Summary
Arianespace’s Ariane 62 launched MTG-I2 from Ariane Launch Area 4 at Guiana Space Centre, successfully placing EUMETSAT’s third third-generation weather satellite into target orbit.
- Watch
- Flight VA270 | MTG-I2 | Ariane 6 | ArianespaceArianespace
- Vol VA270 | MTG-I2 | Ariane 6 | ArianespaceArianespace
- MTG-I2 launch (Official broadcast)European Space Agency, ESA
- Vehicle
- Ariane 62 · Arianespace
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Earth Science · Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO)for EUMETSAT
- Milestone
- 6th Ariane 62 flight · 1st this yearArianespace's 328th launch4th this yearhumanity's 7,378th orbital launch attempt205th orbital launch attempt this year
Webcast
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
MTG-I2 · NORAD 100530 · 2026-198A · Space-Track
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- MTG-I2
- Object ID
- 2026-198A
- Epoch
- 2026-09-26 04:39:34 UTC
- Mean motion
- 1.00273065 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.00002244
- Inclination
- 0.9754°
- Ascending node
- 302.9825°
- Arg. of perigee
- 246.1993°
- Mean anomaly
- 249.2323°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 34
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: GTO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Flight timeline
- T−7SIgnition
- T−0Liftoff
- T+2M15SSRB Separation
- T+3M31SFairing Separation
- T+7M43SMECO
- T+7M49SStage 2 Separation
- T+7M58SSES
- T+21M48SSECO
- T+36M27SPayload Separation
About this launch
MTG-I2 launched on an Arianespace Ariane 62 from Ariane Launch Area 4, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana on August 27, 2026 at 20:11 UTC. The launch window ran from 20:10 to 22:40 UTC. It was Arianespace's 328th launch, 4th this year and humanity's 7,378th orbital launch attempt. It was the 6th Ariane 62 flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). It reached a 237 × 35,675 km orbit inclined 6.0°.
Third of EUMETSAT's third generation of weather satellite.
News
MTG-I2 timelapse : from arrival at Europe’s Spaceport to launchThe Meteosat Third Generation-Imager2 (MTG-I2) satellite was launched on an Ariane 6 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, this timelapse video shows the process of getting the satellite ready for liftoff up to its launch into space on 27 August 2026 at 22:11 CEST (17:11 local time).
MTG-I2 reaches its final orbitEurope’s Meteosat Third Generation Imager 2 (MTG-I2) satellite has reached its designated orbit at 36 000 km from Earth and is ready to begin its commissioning phase, preparing it to provide years of service to improve weather forecasting over Europe and North Africa.
Ariane 6 launch with MTG-I2 – highlightsThe Meteosat Third Generation-Imager2 (MTG-I2) satellite, has been launched on board an Ariane 6 launcher from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Liftoff was on 27 August 2026 at 22:11 CEST (17:10 local time).
MTG-I2 completes Europe’s latest weather trioThe second Meteosat Third Generation Imager satellite (MTG-I2) has been launched on board Ariane 6, flight VA270, from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. It will complete the first family of MTG satellites, delivering data for weather forecasting over Europe and northern Africa with unprecedented quality, quantity and frequency.
MTG-I2 ready for launch on Ariane 6The Meteosat Third Generation Imager2 satellite (MTG-I2) has been encapsulated inside the Ariane 6 fairing and is in place on its launch pad. It is scheduled to lift off on Thursday evening, 27 August, from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
MTG-I2 ready for launchThe Meteosat Third Generation-Imager2 (MTG-I2) satellite, is ready for launch on board an Ariane 6 launcher from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Lift off is scheduled for 27 August 2026 at 22:10 CEST (17:10 local time).
Launch Preview: Falcon Heavy to launch Roman telescope, Falcon 9 to launch Starlink satellitesThis week will see five orbital launches from China, the United States, and French Guiana.…
Europe’s Next Weather Satellite Ready To FlyIn only a few days, Europe will complete their next-generation weather observation system, Meteosat Third Generation.
Pad
Ariane Launch Area 4, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
9th launch from Ariane Launch Area 4, 4th this year · 335th from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
Local pad time at liftoff: Aug 27, 5:11 PM GMT-3, in daylight
9 launches from this pad · 336 from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
71 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Guiana Space Centre, French GuianaOpen in maps
Updates
Launch success with satellite in contact.
Show 9 earlier updates
Spacecraft separation.
Cosmic_Penguin · 8/27/2026 · source
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin · 8/27/2026 · source
Updated T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin · 8/27/2026 · source
Official Webcast by Arianespace has started
LL2 · 8/27/2026 · source
Added launch window.
Cosmic_Penguin · 8/3/2026 · source
NET August 27.
Cosmic_Penguin · 6/5/2026 · source
NET August.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/8/2026 · source
Moved to Q3, after Amazon Leo LE-03.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/6/2026 · source
NET June 2026
Nosu · 3/6/2026 · source
Questions
When did MTG-I2 launch?
MTG-I2 launched on August 27, 2026 at 20:11 UTC. The launch window ran from 20:10 to 22:40 UTC.
Where can I watch MTG-I2?
Coverage: Flight VA270 | MTG-I2 | Ariane 6 | Arianespace; Vol VA270 | MTG-I2 | Ariane 6 | Arianespace; MTG-I2 launch (Official broadcast). Watch the replay
What rocket launched MTG-I2?
Ariane 62, flown by Arianespace. Ariane 62 spec sheet
Where did MTG-I2 launch from?
Ariane Launch Area 4, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana. Liftoff was Aug 27, 5:11 PM GMT-3 local time at the pad.
What orbit did MTG-I2 reach?
It reached a 237 × 35,675 km orbit inclined 6.0°.