The satellite Earth observations are crucial for the weather forecasting, because they provide information about actual weather also from the places where a regular observation are missing or about strictly local phenomena. Two basic types of satellites are exploited in the meteorology: circumpolar and geostationary satellites. The Earth is observed in several narrow spectral bands – channels. The central wavelength for each channel is chosen by purpose what process in atmosphere has to be monitored. The beginnings of analog satellite data reception at the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute stretch back to late 70’s of the last century. First, the adapted facsimile NEVA was used as a reception station. Its antenna was pointed to the satellite appearance point manually. The new device for automatic picture transmission (APT) was finished in 1979. Digital reception from Meteosat satellite started in 1983 when WIRPS (Weather Image Receiving and Processing System) was installed at Malý Javorník. All three Meteosat channels: infrared, visible and water vapor were available, but due to insufficient computer power mostly infrared channel was used. Full potential of received Meteosat data was reached after several upgrades of the receiving system, last in 1998 by VCS Nachrichtechnik. Nowadays, data from MSG (Meteosat Second Generation) are received by EUMETCast system. All 12 available channels are processed by own software at the SHMÚ. Since January 3rd, 2006, Slovakia is a full member of EUMETSAT organization.