GOES-9 Operational over west Pacific at 155E, 22 May 2003
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On 0600 UTC May 22, 2003, NOAA's GOES-9, positioned at 155 degrees East,
became the operational meteorological satellite over the West Pacific and Eastern Asia, 
replacing the Japan Meteorological Agency's GMS-5 satellite.

For details regarding broadcast of GOES-9 WEFAX via GMS-5, please see:
http://www.jma.go.jp/JMA_HP/jma/jma-eng/contents/info_GMS5.html

For the official announcement from JMA, please see:
http://www.jma.go.jp/JMA_HP/jma/jma-eng/contents/Start_GOES9.html

MTSAT-1R, the successor to GMS-5, is planned for launch in early 2004.
For details, see: http://mscweb.kishou.go.jp/general/future_plan/index.htm#1

Below are some of the updated milestones and plans for the operation of GOES-9:

**April 26, 2003: GOES-9 on-station normal operation at 155E **

**On May 22, 2003, GMS-5 ceased disseminating high resolution data (with the last GMS
image at 00:00 UTC), and is transmitting GOES-9 WEFAX via the GMS-5 satellite.**

- Users who received GMS-5 WEFAX from GMS-5 should not need to make any
changes to receive GOES-9 WEFAX via GMS-5

- S-VISSR type data converted from GVAR signals will be distributed via the Internet 
from the JMA to the National Meteorological Services which made registration to the JMA.  
This Internet distribution has been already carried out for the S-VISSR data obtained by 
GMS-5 since 2 December 2002.

- GOES-9 data will _not_ be converted to VISSR and relayed through GMS-5

- Imagery is available both via GVAR for direct readout, and from DOMSAT
for CONUS users.

Posted to the NOAASIS 1415 UTC, 22 May 2003