# Meteosat 7

> decommissioned European weather satellite

**Wikidata**: [Q18327603](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18327603)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/meteosat-7

## Summary
Meteosat 7 was a decommissioned European weather satellite and part of the Meteosat First Generation series. Launched in 1997, it operated until its retirement in 2017, providing critical weather monitoring and climate data as part of EUMETSAT's fleet. It was succeeded by Meteosat 8.

## Key Facts
- **Launch Date**: September 2, 1997, at 22:21:07 UTC.
- **Operator**: EUMETSAT (European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites).
- **Manufacturer**: Aérospatiale.
- **Mission Duration**: Operational from March 6, 1998, to March 31, 2017.
- **Launch Vehicle**: Ariane 44LP rocket (flight V99).
- **Orbit**: Geostationary orbit.
- **Preceded By**: Meteosat 6.
- **Succeeded By**: Meteosat 8.
- **Identifiers**: COSPAR ID 1997-049B, NSSDCA ID 1997-049B.

## FAQs
### Q: When was Meteosat 7 launched and retired?
A: Meteosat 7 launched on September 2, 1997, and was retired on March 31, 2017, after nearly 20 years of service.

### Q: What was the primary role of Meteosat 7?
A: It provided weather forecasting data, climate monitoring, and environmental observations from its geostationary orbit.

### Q: Who operated Meteosat 7?
A: The satellite was operated by EUMETSAT, an international organization focused on European weather and climate monitoring.

## Why It Matters
Meteosat 7 played a key role in advancing European weather forecasting and climate research as part of the first generation of Meteosat satellites. Its long operational lifespan (1998–2017) ensured continuity in meteorological data, supporting disaster preparedness, agriculture, and environmental monitoring. As one of the final first-generation Meteosat satellites, it bridged the transition to more advanced systems like Meteosat Second Generation, demonstrating the evolution of satellite-based Earth observation technologies.

## Notable For
- **Longevity**: Operated for nearly 19 years, exceeding initial mission expectations.
- **First-Generation Technology**: Represented the culmination of 1980s–90s European satellite engineering.
- **Launch Vehicle**: Deployed via the Ariane 44LP rocket, a variant of the Ariane 4 series.
- **Geostationary Monitoring**: Provided continuous coverage of Europe, Africa, and the Atlantic Ocean.

## Body
### Launch and Deployment
Meteosat 7 launched on September 2, 1997, at 22:21:07 UTC from the ELA-2 launch pad at the Guiana Space Centre. It rode atop an Ariane 44LP rocket (flight V99), sharing the launch with the Hot Bird 3 communications satellite. The satellite was built by Aérospatiale and entered service on March 6, 1998.

### Operational Career
- **Service Entry**: Began operational duties on March 6, 1998.
- **Mission**: Monitored weather patterns, tracked storms, and collected climate data from geostationary orbit.
- **Retirement**: Decommissioned on March 31, 2017, after nearly two decades of service.

### Technical Specifications
- **Satellite Bus**: Meteosat First Generation.
- **COSPAR ID**: 1997-049B.
- **NSSDCA ID**: 1997-049B.
- **Aliases**: MTP 1, MOP 4.

### Legacy
Meteosat 7 was the final operational satellite of the Meteosat First Generation series, succeeded by the more advanced Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellites, including Meteosat 8. Its extended mission highlighted the reliability of European satellite systems and supported EUMETSAT’s global environmental monitoring initiatives.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Satellite",
  "name": "Meteosat 7",
  "description": "Decommissioned European weather satellite and part of the Meteosat First Generation series.",
  "url": "https://www.eumetsat.int/meteosat-first-generation-retired",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q24932",
    "https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteosat"
  ],
  "manufacturer": "Aérospatiale",
  "operator": "EUMETSAT",
  "launchDate": "1997-09-02",
  "retirementDate": "2017-03-31",
  "cosparId": "1997-049B"
}

## 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