Carried on an Ariane 5, the latest weather satellite in Europe's highly successful Meteosat Second Generation series, MSG-3, lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 23:36 CEST on 5 July 2012.<br />The launch of MSG-3 ensures the continuity of meteorological observations to improve weather forecasts from geostationary orbit 36 000 km above Earth. <br /><br />ESA has developed the series of weather satellites in close cooperation with the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, Eumetsat.
