Please make a donation to support Gunter's Space Page.
Thank you very much for visiting Gunter's Space Page. I hope that this site is useful and informative for you.
If you appreciate the information provided on this site, please consider supporting my work by making a simple and secure donation via PayPal. Please help to run the website and keep everything free of charge. Thank you very much.

MTSat 2 (Himawari 7)

MTSat 2 [MELCO]

The MTSAT-2 (Multifunctional Transport Satellite) is a multi-functional satellite with a dual purpose:

On the one hand, it is an integral part of a next-generation global-scale air traffic safety system comprised of communications, navigation, tracking and air traffic control. The purpose is to improve traffic congestion and safety in the Asia Pacific region.

On the other hand, the MTSAT-2 is designed to take on a meteorological mission to capture, collect and deliver meteorological images and/or data. In this capacity it inherits and expands the mission of a previous satellite.

The satellite carries IMAGER, an imaging telescope, backed by detectors for five wavelength channels:

  1. Visible band at 0.55-0.80 microns, detected by silicon photovoltaic detectors at a spatial resolution of 1.25 km;
  2. 10.3-11.3 micron infrared channel (IR1) with a HgCdTe photoconductive detector.
  3. 11.5-12.5 micron channel (IR2) with a HgCdTe detector;
  4. 6.5-7.0 micron water vapor channel (IR3) with a HgCdTe detector; and,
  5. 3.5-4.0 micron near-infrared channel with an InSb photovoltaic detector.

All infrared channels provide a spatial resolution of 5.0 km.

For the meteorological mission, MTSAT-2 will play a role of a back-up satellite while MTSAT-1R is in operation until 2008. After the commencement of MTSAT-2 operations, MTSAT-1R will be used as a stand-by satellite for the meteorological mission.

MTSat 2 was renamed Himawari 7 after launch.

In May 2020, MTSat 2 was moved to a graveyard orbit above GEO.

Nation: Japan
Type / Application: Communication, Meteorology
Operator: Japanese Ministry of Transport Civil Aviation Bureau & Meteorological Agency
Contractors: Mitsubishi Electric (prime), Boeing
Equipment: IMAGER
Configuration: DS-2000
Propulsion: R-4D-11-164
Power: Deployable solar array, batteries
Lifetime: 10 years
Mass: 4650 kg (1700 kg dry)
Orbit: GEO
Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
MTSat 2 (Himawari 7) 2006-004A 18.02.2006 Ta YLP-1 H-2A-2024
Further GMS / MTSat (Himawari) missions:

Cite this page: