GMS - Credit: NASA. 9,178 bytes. 147 x 192 pixels.

The Geostationary Meteorological Satellite series were spin-stabilized satellites. They were developed to contribute to the improvement of Japan's meteorological services and the development of weather satellite technology. The satellites consist of a despun section which holds the earth-oriented antennas and a 100-rpm rotating spin section which contains the Visible and Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer (VISSR), electronic devices, etc. They have been used for the World Meteorological Organization's World Weather Watch Program which is sustained by five geostationary satellites. Launching organization: National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). Function: 1) Observation of meteorological phenomena by the visible and infra-red spin scan radiometer. 2) Collection of weather data from various stations. 3) Distribution of weather data to earth stations. 4) Monitoring of solar particles.

Total Mass: 746 kg.

Geostationary meteorological satellite.

Geostationary meteorological satellite. N launch vehicle flight number 8 (N-II launch vehicle). Launch time 2003 UT. Launching organization: National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). Geostationary longitude 140 deg E. Function: 1) Observation of meteorological phenomena by the visible and infra-red spin scan radiometer. 2) Collection of weather data from various stations. 3) Distribution of weather data to earth stations. 4) Monitoring of solar particles.

Stationed at 140 deg E; also studied alpha particles, electrons. GMS-3 (Himawari-3). Launch 2030 GMT. Improvement of meteorological observation. Development of meteorological satellite technology. N Launch vehicle flight no 13. Launching organization NASDA.

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Himawari Credit: NASDA. 9,115 bytes. 139 x 208 pixels.

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Stationed at 140 deg E. GMS-4 (Himawari-4). Improvement of meteorological observation. Development of meteorological satellite technology. Launch vehicle H-I (H20F). Launching organization NASDA. Launch time 1911 GMT.

Geostationary Meteorological Satellite; carried search and rescue package. Stationed at 140.2 deg E.

• 2 - McDowell, Jonathan, The United Nations Registry of Space Objects, Harvard University, 1997. HTML when accessed: http://hea-www.harvard.edu/QEDT/jcm/space/un/un.html
• 6 - JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. HTML when accessed: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html