Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) Lightning Imager (LI) Instrument Performance and Calibration from User Perspective

Abstract

The European Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) Lightning Imager (LI) is an instrument on the geostationary MTG Imager satellite series, for which the first satellite is scheduled for launch in 2019.\nThe MTG series consists of 6 satellites in total: 4 Imager satellites, equipped with the Flexible Combined Imager (FCI) and Lightning Imager (LI) instruments, and 2 Sounding satellites, with the Infrared Sounder (IRS) and Sentinel-4 UVN instruments.\nThales Alenia Space France is the main contractor for the MTG series under agency supervision from ESA. Selex ES are the main contractor for the LI mission and instrument. EUMETSAT will operate the satellites, instruments and ground facilities for MTG, including LI.\nThe Lightning Imager will continuously provide lightning group and flashes information for almost the complete visible earth disc from a geostationary orbit targeted around 0 degrees longitude in the time period 2020 to 2040. The instrument will measure day and night and will provide triggered event data from lightning optical pulses at a spatial resolution that corresponds to about 4.5 km x 4.5 km at subsatellite point. The instrument also measures and provides background radiance images.\nIn this presentation the Lightning Imager mission objectives, performance requirements and basic instrument detection principles will be described from scientific and user perspective.\nIn addition, the scientific objectives of the performance verification and calibration both prior to launch and in orbit will be discussed.