JAXA - Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency logo.
November 2, 2016
Image above: Launch success of the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 31 (H-IIA F31) with the geostationary meteorological satellite "Himawari-9" on board.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully launched the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 31 (H-IIA F31) with the geostationary meteorological satellite "Himawari-9" on board at 3:20 p.m. on November 2, 2016 (JST) from the Tanegashima Space Center.
The live broadcast of the Himawari-9/H-IIA F31 launch
The launch vehicle flew as planned, and at approximately 27 minutes and 51 seconds after liftoff, the separation of Himawari-9 was confirmed.
Geostationary meteorological satellite "Himawari-9"
At the time of the launch, the weather was fine, a wind speed was 6.1 meters/second from the north-east and the temperature was 21.3 degrees Celsius.
About Geostationary Meteorological Satellite "Himawari" (GMS):
The Japanese Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS) series, also known as its nickname, "Himawari" (meaning a "sunflower"), is on the geostationary orbit at 140 degrees of east longitude to carry out weather observation from space being part of the World Weather Watch (WWW) project of the World Meteorological Organization. The images of the earth and clouds sent from this satellite series have been used in many areas such as weather forecasts in TV or newspaper; therefore, it is strongly connected to our daily life.
After the "Himawari-6", the GMS series was replaced by a Multifunctional Transport Satellite series to broaden its scope of operation. It is operated by the Japan Meteorological Agency for climatic observation.
H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 31 Flight Sequence (Quick Estimation) PDF: http://global.jaxa.jp/press/2016/11/files/20161102_h2af31.pdf
Reference:
Geostationary Meteorological Satellite "Himawari" (GMS): http://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/gms/index.html
MHI Launch Services: http://h2a.mhi.co.jp/en/index.html
H-IIA Launch Vehicle: http://global.jaxa.jp/projects/rockets/h2a/
Images, Video, Text, Credits: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)/National Research and Development Agency/Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
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