Multi-Functional Transport Satellite

They were geostationary satellites owned and operated by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), and provide coverage for the hemisphere centred on 140.0° East; this includes Japan and Australia who are the principal users of the satellite imagery that MTSAT provides.

They can provide imagery in five wavelength bands — visible and four infrared, including the water vapour channel.

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 155.0° East on 22 May 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 was not functional as two MTSATs are required for air traffic control.

On 5 November 2007, Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced a malfunction in the attitude control of MTSAT-2.