SpaceX launches advanced European weather satellite

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the advanced European weather satellite MTG‑S1 on July 1 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The rocket’s first stage landed on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean, marking its ninth flight. MTG‑S1 will enter geostationary orbit to deliver frequent, detailed weather data over Europe and northern Africa. Operated by EUMETSAT, the satellite carries instruments to map atmospheric temperature, humidity, wind, and gases in 3D, and also includes the Copernicus Sentinel‑4 spectrometer to monitor air quality hourly over Europe and North Africa.