Multi-Functional Transport Satellite
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MTSAT are a series of weather and aviation control satellites. They are geostationary satellites. They are owned and operated by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), and provide coverage for the hemisphere centred on 140° East; this includes Japan and Australia who are the principal users of the satellite imagery that MTSAT provides. They replace the GMS-5 satellite, also known as Himawari 5 (“himawari” or “ひまわり” meaning “sunflower”). They can provide imagery in five wavelength bands — visible and four infrared, including the water vapour channel. The visible light camera has a resolution of 1 km; the infrared cameras have 4 km (resolution is lower away from the equator at 140° East). The spacecraft have a planned lifespan of five years. MTSAT-1 and 1R were built by Space Systems/Loral. MTSAT-2 was built by Mitsubishi.
The launch of MTSAT-1, on a Japanese H-II rocket, failed on 15 November 1999 and the spacecraft was destroyed. GMS-5, the satellite it MTSAT-1 was intended to replace, was decommissioned on April 1, 2003 leaving Japan without weather satellite imagery. To fill in the void, The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) loaned the GOES-9 satellite to the JMA and repositioned it over 145° East on May 22, 2003.[1] MTSAT-1R (also known as Himawari 6) was successfully launched on a H-IIA on 26 February 2005 and became partially operational on 28 June 2005 — the aviation payload is not functional as two MTSATs are required for air traffic control. GOES-9 was decommissioned when MTSAT-1R came online in June 2005. MTSAT-2 successfully launched on February 18, 2006, and is positioned at 145° East. The weather functions of MTSAT-2 will be put into hibernation until the end of MTSAT-1R’s life (5 years from launch). The transportation and communication functions of MTSAT-2 will be utilized prior to that time.
Ground stations for these two satellites are located in Kobe and Hitachiota, Japan.
[edit] See also
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[edit] References
- ^ [http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/releases2003/may03/noaa03060.html JAPANESE NOW USING NOAA GOES-9 ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITE, NOAA Press Release, May 22, 2003]
- JMA Satellite Activities (accessed August 13, 2005)
- MTSAT information from Australian Bureau of Meteorology (accessed August 13, 2005)
- Gunter's Space Page:
- Loral.com: Loral-built MTSAT-1R multi-functional satellite successfully launched
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