EL SEGUNDO, Calif., March 29 -- The Japanese advanced meteorological imager (JAMI), made by Raytheon Co., was launched on board Japan's multifunctional transport satellite-1 replacement (MTSAT-1R), built by prime contractor Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), and is now providing new images of earth.
JAMI uses geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) weather imagers and provides enhanced spatial sampling, radiometric sensitivity, Earth coverage and 24-hour observation capability. The system was developed and produced by the Santa Barbara Remote Sensing division of Raytheon's Space and Airborne Systems business and was provided to Space Systems Loral for the MTSAT-1R in 2003.
MTSAT fulfills a meteorological mission by providing multispectral imagery for operational weather needs in Japan, East Asia and Australia, and a civil aviation mission by relaying digitized voice data and other data for aircraft and radio navigation signals.
JAMI will transmit 2-km infrared data in normal operating modes and can provide 0.5-km visible band data on demand. Higher spatial resolution data improves cloud edge detection and tracking, which results in more accurate wind drift information, improved capability to describe and forecast behavior of rapidly evolving weather systems and improved typhoon tracking. JAMI will also enable identification of smaller-scale phenomena such as fog, cloud-top thermal gradients and outflow boundaries.
Raytheon said JAMI's high radiometric sensitivity and accurate calibration enable much better cloud top and sea surface temperature measurements, which will improve quantitative precipitation forecasts along with aviation and shipping weather forecasts, especially for regions outside the range of surface-based radars. Improved environmental monitoring will reduce the impact and cost of natural hazards such as typhoons and forest fires by enabling the best possible warnings and providing information to minimize damage and allow efficient evacuation, the company said.
To view the first images from MTSAT-1R, visit: http://www.jma.go.jp/JMA_HP/jma/jma-eng/satellite/NEWS/first_images.html