It has been widely accepted that at radial distances r~15--20RE the plasma sheet abruptly thins at the onset of the substorm expansion phase and later expands during the substorm recovery phase. This dynamical behavior is dramatically different from that observed at r≲15RE and is a fundamental component of substorm models. Recent results, however, have shown an expansion, rather than a thinning, of the plasma sheet at onset within the range r=15--22RE. Here we reanalyze previously published data that led to the earlier conclusion. We find that it too shows an expansion of the plasma sheet at onset, and we find no evidence for a change in plasma sheet behavior at r~15RE. We suggest that satellite location relative to the plasma sheet boundary, effects of multiple onsets, and previous selection of events that preceded extended quiet periods all contributed to the difference between our results and the earlier results. Our interpretation of these findings is that the substorm-associated dynamics of the plasma sheet is very similar from near synchronous orbit to at least r=22RE. We suggest that the dynamics beyond 15RE can be explained in terms of an extension into this region of a portion of the substorm current wedge, the response to the current wedge being very similar to that which has been well documented at lower r. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1994