MSG-3 in its white room in Cannes. Without the solar array that usually surrounds the craft, the satellite’s internal structure with the Seviri imager in the central cone can be seen, the baffle plate being on the left. The spheres are tanks containing propellant used for the geostationary transfer and maintaining the satellite in its operating position.
Credit: ISP/S. Barensky

...that was originally scheduled for June 19th has been reset to the evening of the July 5, 2012. The delay is due to additional checks that were made on the EchoStar 17 telecommunication satellite, which is to be launched together with MSG-3 on the Ariane 5 ECA launcher. MSG-3 has successfully passed a series of tests scheduled by ESA and industry and is ready to be fuelled.

The launch of MSG-3 will secure continuity of observations from geostationary orbit 36,000 km from Earth. This service, currently provided by Meteosat-9 and the ageing Meteosat-8, launched in August 2002, is vital to ensure the safety of lives, property and infrastructure, particularly in situations of severe weather. The launch of MSG-3 is timed for the smooth transition from Meteosat-8, which has greatly exceeded its expected lifetime. The MSG satellite series is the result of the successful cooperation model with the European Space Agency (ESA), which develops the satellites according to EUMETSAT’s requirements and procures recurrent units on the latter’s behalf from the European space industry. All MSG satellites are manufactured by a European consortium led by Thales Alenia Space.