Atmospheric measurements from the MSG and EPS systems Original Research Article

The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) and the European Space Agency (ESA) are currently developing the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) and the EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS). The first satellites in these series, MSG-1 and METOP-1 (METeorological Operational satellite) are expected to start providing validated observations of the atmosphere and the underlying surfaces in 2002 and 2005, respectively. The three MSG satellites will carry a 12-channel imager, the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) and a Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget (GERB) radiometer. EPS, as the European contribution to the US/European Initial Joint Polar System (IJPS), will deliver imagery and soundings from the morning orbit, while the NOAA Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) and Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) systems will continue to cover the afternoon orbit. The MSG and EPS systems are briefly introduced with emphasis on their innovative capabilities for observing the atmosphere.