By Space News Staff
July 1, 2025
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — SpaceX is gearing up for a critical launch of the Meteosat Third Generation – Sounder 1 (MTG-S1) satellite, a cornerstone of Europe’s advanced weather monitoring system, but Mother Nature may have other plans. The Falcon 9 rocket, poised on Kennedy Space Center’s historic Launch Pad 39-A, is set to carry the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) payload into geostationary orbit during a 150-minute window opening at 5:04 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 1. However, the Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron has forecasted a mere 20% chance of favorable launch conditions due to a high likelihood of afternoon and evening thunderstorms.
The MTG-S1 satellite, the second in EUMETSAT’s third-generation Meteosat series, is a technological leap forward for weather forecasting. Equipped with an infrared sounder, it will provide hyperspectral resolution data, offering detailed temperature and humidity profiles of the atmosphere. This capability will enable meteorologists to track rapidly evolving weather systems, such as convective storms, with unprecedented accuracy. Additionally, the satellite carries the Copernicus Sentinel-4 mission, an ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared spectrometer designed to monitor air quality and trace gases like formaldehyde and nitrogen dioxide over Europe and North Africa every hour. The data will complement global air quality monitoring efforts alongside sensors like NASA’s Tempo and South Korea’s Gems.
Despite the mission’s significance, the weather outlook poses a significant hurdle. The Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron highlighted concerns including cumulus clouds, anvil clouds, and surface electric fields, all of which could violate launch safety criteria. If Tuesday’s attempt is scrubbed, a backup window on Wednesday, July 2, at the same time offers even slimmer chances, with only a 10% probability of favorable conditions.
The Falcon 9, utilizing booster B1085 on its ninth mission, is set to follow an eastward trajectory, with the first stage planned to land on a SpaceX droneship in the Atlantic Ocean, ruling out any sonic booms along Florida’s Space Coast. The upper stage will then perform burns to deliver MTG-S1 into a geostationary transfer orbit, positioning it approximately 36,000 kilometers above the equator.
This launch marks SpaceX’s 57th from Florida’s Space Coast in 2025, underscoring the company’s dominance in the region’s orbital missions. The MTG-S1, weighing 3,800 kg at launch, will be renamed Meteosat-13 once operational and is expected to serve for at least 8.5 years, with enough fuel for over a decade of service. Its data, combined with the Meteosat-12 imager already in orbit, will provide a 4D view of atmospheric dynamics, generating over 50 times more near-real-time data than its predecessors.
EUMETSAT’s decision to contract SpaceX for this launch, despite a preference for European launch providers, was driven by exceptional circumstances, according to Director-General Phil Evans. “This does not compromise our policy of supporting European partners,” Evans said, expressing confidence in a successful launch.
As the countdown nears, all eyes are on the skies—both for the weather on the ground and the satellite destined to monitor it from above. If successful, MTG-S1 will enhance Europe’s ability to predict severe weather events and improve air quality monitoring, bolstering resilience against climate challenges. For now, SpaceX and EUMETSAT must navigate the unpredictability of Florida’s summer weather to get this mission off the ground.