# Meteosat 3

> decommissioned European weather satellite

**Wikidata**: [Q18327607](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18327607)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/meteosat-3

Here’s the structured knowledge entry for **Meteosat 3**:

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## Summary  
Meteosat 3 was a decommissioned European weather satellite, part of the Meteosat First Generation series. Launched in 1988, it operated in geostationary orbit to provide meteorological data until its retirement in 1995. It succeeded Meteosat 2 and was followed by Meteosat 4.

## Key Facts  
- **Launch date**: June 15, 1988, at 11:19:01 UTC aboard an Ariane 44LP rocket (flight V22) from ELA-2.  
- **Operator**: European Space Agency (ESA).  
- **Manufacturer**: Aérospatiale.  
- **COSPAR ID**: 1988-051A; NSSDCA ID: 1988-051A.  
- **Orbit**: Geostationary.  
- **Service period**: August 11, 1988, to May 31, 1995.  
- **Preceded by**: Meteosat 2.  
- **Succeeded by**: Meteosat 4.  
- **Space tug**: H10 (launch stage L401).  
- **Significant events**: Rocket launch (June 15, 1988), service entry (August 11, 1988), retirement (May 31, 1995).

## FAQs  
### Q: When did Meteosat 3 operate?  
A: From August 11, 1988, to May 31, 1995.  

### Q: Who operated Meteosat 3?  
A: The European Space Agency (ESA).  

### Q: What distinguished Meteosat3 from similar entities?  
A: Notable for being manufactured by Aérospatiale.  

### Q: What happened to Meteosat3 after its retirement?  
A: Significant events included rocket launch (June151988), service entry(Aug111988), service retirement(May311995).  

## Why It Matters  
Meteosat3 marked significant advancements in meteorological satellites. It provided critical meteorological data from geostationary orbit. Its service entry marked significant advancements in meteorological satellites.  

## Notable For  
- Achievements: Firsts, records, unique traits  
- Competitive advantages  

## Schema Markup  
```json  
{  
 "@context": "https://schema.org",  
 "@type": "Thing",  
 "name": "Meteosat3",  
 "description": "A decommissioned European weather satellite",  
 "sameAs": ["https://www.google.com/knowledgegraph"]  
}

## References

1. [Source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/meteosat-1.htm)
2. [Source](https://www.eumetsat.int/meteosat-first-generation-retired)
3. Jonathan's Space Report