The Meteosat Third Generation Imager-2 (MTG-I2) satellite was launched on an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, ESA reported on 28 August 2026. Liftoff was on 27 August 2026 at 22:11 CEST, 17:10 local time.

MTG-I2 is part of the MTG constellation built for Eumetsat, which already has two satellites in orbit, and is intended to produce weather-forecasting images of Europe in unprecedented detail. ESA says the mission offers new data products for European weather services, particularly for nowcasting severe weather. The satellites carry a Lightning Imager, which monitors lightning continuously from geostationary orbit about 36 000 km above the equator and can scan more than 80% of Earth's surface seen from that viewpoint, and a Flexible Combined Imager that maps fast-evolving weather systems and supports timely warnings, notably for air traffic safety. It can scan its view in 10 minutes and Europe and northern Africa every 2.5 minutes. Once fully operational, MTG is expected to produce at least 50 times more data than the previous Meteosat Second Generation satellites.

This was the ninth Ariane 6 launch. The rocket flew with two P120C-based solid-propellant boosters and reached geostationary transfer orbit for the first time, the farthest it has flown. ESA manages the Ariane 6 development programme, and Arianespace provided the launch service for flight VA270.