GMS

GMS, MTSat,
and Himawari
series

MTSat-1 Himawari-8
GMSMTSat-1Himawari-8

This page contains philatelic information on the GMS (Geostationary Meteorological Satellite) series, the MTSat (Multi-functional Transport SATellite) series, and the Himawari series. Catalog numbers, years of issue, and notes on the satellites featured are given when available. If readers know of additional information or images, please contact the authors using the e-mail addresses at the bottom of this page.

The GMS and MTSat series are also known as Himawari.

Launch information
(found elsewhere)
Launch covers
(including anniversary-of-launch covers, and launch-related event covers)
(farther below)
Other postal items
(stamps, souvenir sheets, aerogrammes, postal cards, etc.)
(immediately below)
GMS
(Japan)
GMS
(Japan)
GMS
(Japan)
MTSat
(Japan)
MTSat
(Japan)
MTSat
(Japan)
Himawari
(Japan)
Himawari
(Japan)
Himawari
(Japan)


Below is a list of GMS, MTSat, and Himawari series postal items (stamps, souvenir sheets, aerogrammes, postal cards, etc.).

CountryCatalog NumberType of ItemYear of IssueNotes on Content
GMS / Himawari (Japan)
Chad708b (Mi1506A)
i708b (Mi1506B)
One stamp and in selvedge of MS6 (708 (a-f)) (Mi1505A-1510A)
One stamp and in selvedge of imperforate MS6 (i708 (a-f)) (Mi1505B-1510B)
1997"GMS-1" (in selvedge text)
China (Taiwan)2222 (Mi1374)1981A tiny drawing of a GMS (in upper-left of the stamp)
China (Taiwan)2221-2222 fdcOne of two stamps on FDC
China (Taiwan)2221-2222 folderOne of two stamps in folder, also inside and outside (front and back)
JapanNonePostal card1983
Japan1564 (Mi1588)1984
Japan1564 mihon1564 overprinted "mihon"
Japan1564 sc mihonSouvenir card (1564) overprinted "mihon"
Japan1564 fdc1Stamp and (pictorial) cancel and (JPS) cachet on FDC
Japan1564 fdc2Stamp and (pictorial) cancel and (?) cachet on FDC
Japan1564 fdc3Stamp and (pictorial) cancel and (?) cachet on FDC
Japan1564 fdc4Stamp and (pictorial) cancel and (?) cachet (same) on FDC (2nd cancel)
Japan1564 fdc5Stamp and (pictorial) cancel and (?) cachet on FDC
Japan1564 fdc6Stamp and (pictorial) cancel and (?) cachet on FDC
JapanNone(Black) meter on cover1985
JapanNonePhonecard1992"Geostationary Meteorological Satellite-5" / "Himawari-5"
Korea (South)1572 (Mi1614)Also booklet of 41990
Korea (South)1572 fdc1Stamp on FDC (multi-color printed cachet, purple pictorial cancel)
Korea (South)1572 fdc2Stamp on FDC (multi-color printed cachet, black pictorial cancel)
Korea (South)1572 fdc3Stamp on FDC (KPC cachet, purple pictorial cancel), also back
Korea (South)1572 fdc4Stamp on FDC (KPC cachet, black pictorial cancel)
Korea (South)1572 folderFDC folder
Korea (South)2020 (Mi2087)From MS20 (2020a (20x 2020)); also booklet of 102000
Korea (South)2020 fdc1Stamp and (pictorial) cancel on FDC
Korea (South)2020 fdc2Stamp and (pictorial) cancel on FDC (different)
Korea (South)2020 scSouvenir card (2020)
Maldive Islands1575 (Mi1595)1991"GMS-5"
Niger1075c (Mi1949A)
i1075c (Mi1949B)
One of MS6 (1075 (a-f)) (Mi1947A-1952A)
One of imperforate MS6 (i1075 (a-f))
2001"GMS"
Niger1075 fdcMS6 on FDC
Pakistan1023 (Mi?)From MS20 (1023a (20x 1023)), also annotated2003(three) GMS(s)
Pakistan1023 fdcStamp and cachet (annotated) on FDC, also back
Pakistan1023 leafletLeaflet, also back
Sri Lanka1234 (Mi1187)1998
Sri Lanka1234 fdcStamp on FDC
Switzerland (WMO)None(Red pictorial) meter1988GMS (or GOES-4/7 type)1
Thailand1472 (Mi1498)From strip of 5 (1472a (5x 1472)), also booklet of 5 front1992
Thailand1472 fdc1Stamp on FDC (two cancels), also insert
Thailand1472 fdc2Stamp on FDC
Vanuatu566 (Mi890)1992"GMS-4"
Vanuatu565-568 fdcOne of four stamps on FDC
Vanuatu565-568 folderFolder inside (pages 1-2), also front
MTSat / Himawari (Japan)
Guinea RepublicBL1437In (upper-left) margin of SS1 (Mi5171)2007"MTSat-1R"
Guinea RepublicMi5894-5899_ms6In (upper-left) margin of MS6 (Mi5894-5899)2008
Guinea-BissauMi4493A
Mi4493B
From MS5 (Mi4492A-4496A)
From imperforate MS5 (Mi4492B-4496B)
2009"MTSat-1R"
Guinea-BissauMi4494A
Mi4494B
"MTSat-2"
Guinea-BissauMi4493A dsDeluxe sheet (Mi4493A)"MTSat-1R"
Guinea-BissauMi4494A dsDeluxe sheet (Mi4494A)"MTSat-2"
Guinea-BissauMi4492A-4496A_ms5 fdcMS5 on FDC(As above for stamps)
Japan2936 (Mi3898)One of pair (2937a (2936-2937)) (Mi3898-3899), or five of MS10 (2937b (5x (2936-2937)))2005
Japan2937a fdc1Pair and (pictorial) cancel on FDC
Japan2937a fdc2Pair and (?) cachet on FDC
Japan2937a fdc3Pair on FDC (multi-color printed cachet)
Japan2936-2937 cancelFDC cancel (different)
Japan2937a cover (Mi3898-3899 cover)Pair on cover2015
Himawari (non-GMS and non-MTSat) (Japan)
No (non-launch cover) postal items found

1The GMS-series and GOES-4/7 type has a similar appearance, both being built by Hughes Space and Communications Company.


Below is a list of GMS, MTSat, and Himawari series launch covers (including anniversary-of-launch covers, and launch-related event covers).

CountryCancel DateCancel LocationType of ItemNotes on Content
GMS / Himawari (Japan)
1977-07-14: GMS-1 / Himawari-1
United States1977-07-14Kennedy Space Center FL(Space Voyage green and purple) cachet on coverGMS-1 launch
United States1977-07-14Cape Canaveral FL(Space Voyage green and purple) cachet on coverGMS-1 launch
United States1977-07-14Cape Canaveral FL(Orbit Covers) cachet on coverGMS-1 (not "SMS-3", as in text) launch; also DCS
United States1977-07-14Cape Canaveral FL(Whitney blue and black) cachet on (airmail) coverGMS-1 launch
United States1977-07-14Cape Canaveral FL(Centennial) cachet on coverGMS-1 launch
United States1977-07-14Kennedy Space Center FL(Centennial) cachet on coverGMS-1 launch
United States1977-07-14Kennedy Space Center FL(SCPS) cachet on coverGMS-1 launch
United States1977-07-14Kennedy Space Center FL(Havekotte blue and red rubber-stamp) cachet on (airmail) coverGMS-1 launch (but Westar-1/2/3 type or similar depicted with a rocket1)
United States1977-07-14Greenbelt MD(GSFC Stamp Club) cachet on coverGMS-1 launch
United States1977-07-14Greenbelt MD(GSFC Stamp Club) cachet (and signature) on coverGMS-1 launch
1981-08-10: GMS-2 / Himawari-2
United States1981-08-10Greenbelt MD(Space Voyage orange and green and yellow) cachet on coverGMS-2 launch; also DCS
Japan1981-08-11
1981-08-11
Minamitane (text cancel)
Tanegashima (scenic cancel)
(Space Voyage orange and purple and pink) cachet on coverGMS-2 launch; also DCS
Japan1981-08-11Tsukubagakuen(Space Voyage blue and purple) cachet on coverGMS-2 launch; also DCS
Japan1981-08-11
1981-08-11
Minamitane (text cancel)
Tanegashima (scenic cancel)
(Zaso silk) cachet on coverGMS-2 launch
Japan1981-08-11Tsukubagakuen(Zaso silk) cachet on coverGMS-2 launch
Japan1981-08-11
1981-08-11
Tsukubagakuen (English text cancel)
Tsukubagakuen (Japanese text cancel)
(Watanabe/NASDA no.11) cachet on coverGMS-2 launch
Japan1981-08-11
1981-08-11
Minamitane (English text cancel)
Minamitane (Japanese text cancel)
(Watanabe/NASDA no.11) cachet on cover, also insertGMS-2 launch
1984-08-03: GMS-3 / Himawari-3
United States1984-08-02Greenbelt MD(Space Voyage orange and blue and pink) cachet on coverGMS-3 launch
Japan1984-08-03Tsukubagakuen(Space Voyage green and pink and red) cachet on coverGMS-3 launch
Japan1984-08-03Tanegashima (scenic cancel)(Space Voyage brown and pink and red) cachet on coverGMS-3 launch
Japan1984-08-03
1984-08-03
Minamitane (Japanese text cancel)
Minamitane (English text cancel)
(Watanabe/NASDA no.?) cachet on coverGMS-3 launch
Japan1984-08-03
1984-08-03
Tsukubagakuen (Japanese text cancel)
Tsukubagakuen (English text cancel)
(Watanabe/NASDA no.?) cachet on coverGMS-3 launch
1989-09-06: GMS-4 / Himawari-4
United States1989-09-05Greenbelt MD(Space Voyage orange the purple and pink) cachet on coverGMS-4 launch; also DCS
Japan1989-09-06Tsukubagakuen(Space Voyage brown and orange) cachet on coverGMS-4 launch; also DCS
Japan1989-09-06Tanegashima (scenic cancel)(Space Voyage blue and orange) cachet on coverGMS-4 launch; also DCS
Japan1989-09-06
1989-09-06
Minamitane (Japanese text cancel)
Minamitane (English text cancel)
(Watanabe/NASDA no.?) cachet on coverGMS-4 launch
Japan1989-09-06
1989-09-06
Tsukubagakuen (Japanese text cancel)
Tsukubagakuen (English text cancel)
(Watanabe/NASDA no.?) cachet on coverGMS-4 launch
1995-03-18: GMS-5 / Himawari-5 (and SFU)
Japan1995-03-18
1995-03-18
Minamitane (text cancel)
Minamitane (scenic cancel)
(Watanabe/NASDA no.?) cachet on coverGMS-5 launch
Japan1995-03-18
1995-03-18
Tsukubagakuen (text cancel)
Tsukubagakuen (scenic cancel)
(Watanabe/NASDA no.?) cachet on coverGMS-5 launch
Japan1995-03-18Tsukubagakuen(Space Voyage green and orange) cachet on coverGMS-5 launch
Japan1995-03-18Minamitane (scenic cancel)(Space Voyage purple and orange) cachet on coverGMS-5 launch
MTSat / Himawari (Japan)
1999-11-15: MTSat-1 [failed]
No launch cover images available yet
2005-02-26: MTSat-1R / Himawari-6
No launch cover images available yet
2006-02-18: MTSat-2 / Himawari-7
No launch cover images available yet
Himawari (non-GMS and non-MTSat) (Japan)
2014-10-87: Himawari-8
No launch cover images available yet
2016-11-02: Himawari-9
No launch cover images available yet

1The rocket in this cachet is based on a Whitney-design cachet as found on covers such as this GOES-1_cover; the comsat design is similar to that of the Westar-1/2/3 type or Palapa-A1/A2 type or Anik-A1/A2 type satellites, all of which are essentially identical.


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Updated: 2023-07-19