LYNRED, a global leader in infrared (IR) imaging technologies, announced the launch of its new IRS MW-IR and LW-IR infrared sensors into space. These space-qualified sensors are designed for sounding applications within the infrared MWIR to VLWIR spectral range and are integral to the Meteosat Third Generation Sounder mission (MTG-S1). The MTG-S1 satellite launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on July 1, 2025, at 5:03 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (11:03 p.m. Central European Time).
The MTG-S1 satellite carries two primary missions: the Infrared Sounder (IRS) and the Copernicus Sentinel-4 Ultraviolet-Visible-Near-Infrared light imaging spectrometer (UVN). Both are en route to their operational position 36,000 km above Earth. The MTG system is described as the most complex and innovative geostationary weather satellite system ever built, with the MTG-S mission aiming to enhance Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) capabilities globally and regionally. The IRS will be the first European hyperspectral infrared sounder instrument in geostationary orbit.
Unlike its predecessor, the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG), which featured only an IR imager, the MTG-S1 incorporates the IRS sounder with two detectors: the LYNRED staring array IRS-MWIR and the LYNRED staring array IRS-LWIR (160 x 160 – 90μm pitch). These new-generation meteorological sounders utilize infrared detectors developed in collaboration with European partners for Earth observation.
The IRS detector, based on LYNRED’s space-proven MCT technology, is noted for its format and broad spectral range with a high cut-off wavelength, providing performance for space sounding applications. Key features include definition tailored for Fourier Transform Spectrometry (FTS) sounding applications and related InfraRed Instruments (FTIR), a broad dynamic range for the MWIR to VLWIR spectral range up to 15μm, and proven technology meeting operability requirements up to 15μm. It also offers high operability and radiometric performance (SNR). This IRS detector is the first in the world to achieve this resolution (160 x 160 – 90μm pitch) with a spectral response cut-off wavelength of 15 µm. The development of this advanced IR detector is expected to enable a new generation of sounding instruments with improved spectral accuracy, higher ground resolution, and increased revisit frequency.
Philippe Chorier, Space Business Development Manager at LYNRED, stated: “The launch of the IRS satellite, equipped with the IRS MW and LW detectors, validates the availability of a new generation of IR detectors specifically designed for next-generation FTIR instruments in space sounding missions. This detector is truly unique worldwide, with characteristics such as format, pitch, dynamic range, spectral range and frame frequency that promise to usher in a new era of FTIR instrument capabilities for future sounding missions from 3 to 15 µm.”
LYNRED developed the IRS detector for both MW and LW bands according to specifications from Thales Alenia Space (France), which is responsible for the detection chain and satellite delivery. OHB-System (Germany) handled the instrument definition. This collaboration was managed by the European Space Agency (ESA), overseeing the MTG program’s space segment implementation for EUMETSAT.
Sounding missions using Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectrometers require specialized infrared detectors that can manage a wide dynamic range of flux across an extensive spectral range and operate at high frame rates. Historically, the development of these instruments was challenging due to the lack of suitable infrared detectors. Through the IRS MTG-S program, LYNRED developed a specialized IRS detector to meet the requirements of these instruments, enabling the design of FTIR spectrometers operating from 3 µm to 15 µm.
Philippe Chorier concluded: “We anticipate that the success of this collaboration will demonstrate the feasibility of a new generation of FTIR systems based on the IRS detectors developed for the IRS MTG-S program, with plans for these detectors to be utilized in numerous future sounding systems.”
The IRS is designed to provide a dynamic view of Earth’s atmosphere. It will scan Europe every 30 minutes, collecting vertical temperature and humidity profiles. The data is expected to enhance forecasting of atmospheric instability, water vapor movement, and extreme weather events, including heavy rainfall, tropical cyclones, and winter storms. Combined with imaging satellites, this capability will allow for the first-time observation of the full lifecycle of a convective storm from space, aiming to revolutionize weather forecasting and climate monitoring in Europe and beyond.
