NOAA To Move GOES-9 To Back Up Japanese Weather Satellite

TERRADAILY

The movement of GOES-9 is an important step in developing mutual backup meteorological arrangements between the United States and Japan, NOAA's top official said today.

Washington - Mar 25, 2003
After April 19, any powerful typhoon that threatens nations along the western edge of the Pacific, will be monitored closely by Japanese meteorologists thanks to an agreement that provides for the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to operate GOES-9 -- a weather satellite that meets Japanese and U.S. weather forecast and storm monitoring requirements.

The movement of GOES-9 is an important step in developing mutual backup meteorological arrangements between the United States and Japan, NOAA's top official said today.

Backup Arrangement Critical
"Typhoon Chata'an showed just how crucial satellite data are when tracking an active, deadly storm in the Pacific," said retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph. D, undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere, and NOAA administrator.

"GOES-9 will help forecasters protect residents of Japan and other nations in the Pacific by providing the latest information on the storm's movement."

Last year, powerful Typhoon Chata'an hammered Micronesia, the Philippines, Guam, the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Japan. In the end, 2002 produced a total of 31 typhoons in the western Pacific, with 11 menacing Micronesia alone.

"GOES-9 is ready for action just in time for the 2003 typhoon season," said Gregory W. Withee, assistant administrator of NOAA's National Environmental, Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NOAA Satellite and Information). The agency operates NOAA's two GOES satellites, which are key to forecasting short-range weather events, including tornadoes, floods and tropical cyclones.

Moving Toward Global Coverage
Under the agreement, Japan covered the cost of upgrading NOAA's Command and Data Acquisition Station in Fairbanks, Alaska, which now enables the agency to control GOES over the western Pacific. Japan will also pay to move and operate GOES-9.

The agreement also lays the framework to negotiate a long-term mutual back-up arrangement, which would allow the United States to ask Japan for help if one of the U.S. GOES satellites has problems.

GOES-9 will back up Japan's Geostationary Meteorological Satellite-5 (GMS-5), which is operated by the Japan Meteorological Agency. GMS-5, launched in 1995, is past its useful life and has encountered recent imaging troubles and fuel shortages.

GOES-9, also launched in 1995, was placed in storage mode after it no longer met NOAA's full operational requirements. The satellite still has sounding and imaging capabilities and can serve as a limited replacement for the GMS-5.

In 1999, Japan planned to replace the ailing satellite with its Multifunctional Transportation Satellite (MTSAT-1), but experienced a launch failure. The replacement satellite, MTSAT-1R, is currently scheduled for launch this summer.

"When severe weather threatens, an uninterrupted flow of satellite data becomes a matter of life or death," Withee said. "This agreement makes that notion possible for storms in the Pacific."

NOAA Satellite and Information is the nation's primary source of space-based meteorological and climate data. It operates the nation's environmental satellites, which are used for weather and ocean observation and forecasting, climate monitoring, sea-surface temperature, fire detection, and ozone monitoring.

NOAA Satellite and Information Services also operates three data centers, which house global databases in climatology, oceanography, solid Earth geophysics, marine geology and geophysics, solar-terrestrial physics and paleoclimatology.

TERRADAILY

They Hover On The Edge Of Space

Huntsville - Feb 21, 2003
Thin, wispy clouds, glowing electric blue. Some scientists think they're seeded by space dust. Others suspect they're a telltale sign of global warming. They're called noctilucent or "night-shining" clouds (NLCs for short). And whatever causes them, they're lovely.

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.