Earlier this year, we shared the news about the launch of Sentinel-4 aboard the Meteosat Third Generation Sounder-1 (MTG-S1). Now, just a few months later, EUMETSAT has released the first images from the mission, marking an important step forward in Europe’s sovereign capability to monitor air quality from Space.
On 8 October 2025, Sentinel-4 captured its first atmospheric measurements from geostationary orbit. The instrument, developed for the Copernicus Programme and operated by EUMETSAT, will provide hourly observations of key pollutants over Europe, offering an unprecedented view of how air quality changes throughout the day.
The first test images show nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) concentrations over Europe, ozone (O₃) levels across the Balkans and Greece, and sulphur dioxide (SO₂) plumes from both natural and human sources, including emissions from Mount Etna in Sicily. Even at this early stage of commissioning, the images demonstrate Sentinel-4’s potential for continuous, high-frequency atmospheric monitoring.
These first captures represent a major milestone for the mission and a preview of the data that will soon support scientific research, environmental policy, and public health applications across Europe.
Links of interest
You can explore the full information on the captures in EUMETSAT’s publication here.
Learn more about GRASP involvement in Sentinel-4 mission here.
