HIMAWARI 1 (GMS 1)

About This Satellite

Himawari 1, also called GMS, launched on July 14, 1977 as Japan's first geostationary meteorological satellite. JMA records the start of full-scale observations on April 6, 1978. Its repeated views of Earth supported cloud monitoring and wind estimation, establishing an early space-based weather record over the region.

Cloud motion required a sequence of observations

JMA describes an initial schedule combining three-hourly full-disc observations with additional image sequences for wind calculation, totalling fourteen full-disc observations per day. The wind information depended on changes between images. A single cloud picture does not directly show a wind vector, and this historical schedule should not be replaced with the much faster cadence of later Himawari instruments.

A backup spacecraft returned to the main observing role

After Himawari 2 took over in December 1981, the first spacecraft became a standby. Problems with Himawari 2's VISSR led to Himawari 1 returning to operations on January 21, 1984, with subsequent observing restrictions. JMA dates its final operational end to June 1989. Standby, renewed observations, and final retirement are different parts of this history.

Mission reference: Japan Meteorological Agency: Himawari mission and operations history. Editorial review: 2026-09-14.

Visible and infrared channels had different spatial detail

WMO OSCAR lists the early VISSR instrument with a visible band at 0.50-0.75 micrometres and a thermal-infrared band at 10.5-12.5 micrometres. Their listed resolutions are 1.25 km and 5 km respectively at the subsatellite point. The infrared image therefore does not have the same native detail as the visible image, and those central-disc values should not be assumed to apply uniformly near the edge of Earth's disc.

Reference: WMO OSCAR: VISSR on Himawari 1-4, channels and resolution.

The archive contains two distinct observing intervals

JMA's data-library inventory lists GMS VISSR observations for September 8, 1977 through December 20, 1981, and again for January 21 through June 29, 1984. These intervals describe available observation records, not uninterrupted prime service from launch to retirement. The early archive date also precedes the full-scale operational milestone, illustrating why an image timestamp and an official service date need not match.

Reference: JMA Meteorological Satellite Center: GMS VISSR archive intervals.

Reading this orbital snapshot

Based on TLE epoch: 2026-09-04. Estimated altitude ranges from 36,000 km at perigee to 36,150 km at apogee, a difference of 150 km. The orbital period is about 1450.8 minutes. Eccentricity 0.00177 indicates a nearly circular path. In a two-body approximation, perigee speed is 1.00 times apogee speed. These are mean-element estimates, not instantaneous measurements. Distance per orbit uses an ellipse approximation.

Saved build snapshot. If a valid TLE is retrieved, this explanation and the orbit panel update together. Otherwise this dated snapshot is retained.

Ground track is not sensor coverage

An inclination of 6.33 degrees implies approximate geocentric ground-track limits of 6.3 degrees north and south. This is a prograde orbit, moving in the same general direction as Earth rotation. The plotted line marks the point beneath the object. It does not represent camera coverage, radio reception, or a guaranteed visible pass.

Is it fixed above one longitude?

The snapshot period is 1450.8 minutes. A sidereal day is about 1,436.07 minutes. Height alone does not establish a geostationary orbit: the period must match Earth rotation and the path must be circular and equatorial. This catalog uses a five-minute period tolerance for near-geosynchronous labels; near-geostationary additionally requires inclination at most 1 degree and eccentricity at most 0.01. These are browsing categories, not evidence of station-keeping or a fixed longitude.

Accuracy and missing information

The introductory record describes the build snapshot. The orbital snapshot explanation and orbit panel share any successfully retrieved TLE; check the displayed epoch. Reentered objects retain historical data only. Mission history is not rewritten by TLE updates. TLE/SGP4 positions are predictions and can change after maneuvers or updated observations. The 14-day stale-data cutoff is a display safeguard, not an accuracy guarantee. Local passes are geometric predictions, not a visibility forecast. No verified operator or mission status means unknown, not active. Do not use this catalog for collision avoidance or operational flight decisions.

Catalog sources: CelesTrak SATCAT: NORAD 10143 · GCAT: S10143 (source update 2026 Sep 4 2345:57). Supplementary metadata: SatNOGS DB, retrieved 2026-09-05T12:57:25.375Z. Page assembled 2026-09-15. GCAT phase codes describe trajectory phases, not mission health.

Learn more: TLE data · Perigee and apogee · Ground tracks · JOT (Jewawud Live Orbital Map)

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