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Plan for Switchover of Meteorological Mission from MTSAT-1R to MTSAT-2

30 July 2009

 The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has been operating a meteorological mission to observe the earth from space using the MTSAT-1R geostationary satellite since 28 June 2005.   Since the service period of MTSAT-1R's earth imaging sensor will reach the end of its five-year design lifetime in summer next year, JMA plans to switch the meteorological mission over to MTSAT-2 after this time as outlined below.

1. Date of switchover

 The provisional date of the switchover is 1 July 2010.  JMA will make a further announcement when the exact date and time are determined.

2. Configuration of operation

 The switchover of the meteorological mission will be performed while maintaining the present geostationary orbiting positions of MTSAT-1R at 140°E and MTSAT-2 at 145°E above the equator, respectively.  The meteorological mission will therefore be conducted from 145°E after the switchover.
 In the event of abnormalities with MTSAT-2 or the need for maintenance of the satellite or its ground system, MTSAT-1R will be brought back into operation.

3. Observation performance

 MTSAT-2's sensor has one visible and four infrared channels in the same way as MTSAT-1R's.   The spectral characteristics for the respective channels of MTSAT-1R and MTSAT-2's sensors are almost identical.   The spatial and quantization resolutions of images captured by the sensors are the same.

4. Observation schedule

 The observation timetable pattern of MTSAT-2 will consist of alternative full-disk and half-disk observations in the same way as that of MTSAT-1R.   Due to differences in sensor imaging functions, MTSAT-2's image acquisition time will be longer than MTSAT-1R's by about three minutes.

5. Dissemination services

 MTSAT-1R will continue dissemination services for HRIT/LRIT image data from space to MDUS/SDUS after the switchover.  Landline dissemination services via the JDDS server providing HRIT and JPEG image data will also be continued.

6. Dissemination of data

 The longitude of the center of HRIT image data will be changed to 145°E after the switchover in accordance with the MTSAT-2's position of geostationary orbit.   The map projection parameters of LRIT and JPEG image data will not be changed.

7. Other information

 MTSAT-1R will continuously operate the Data Collection System (DCS) to collect environmental data from Data Collection Platforms (DCPs).
 The switchover of the meteorological mission will not affect the operation of the aeronautical mission.

Satellite Program Division
Japan Meteorological Agency

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