Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) L-18

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission is an international network of satellites that provide the next-generation global space-based observations of rain and snow. Building upon the success of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), the GPM concept centers on the deployment of a Core Observatory carrying an advanced radar / radiometer system to measure precipitation from space and serve as a reference standard to unify precipitation measurements from a constellation of research and operational satellites. Through improved measurements of precipitation globally, the GPM mission will help to advance our understanding of Earth's water and energy cycle, improve forecasting of extreme events that cause natural hazards and disasters, and extend current capabilities in using accurate and timely information of precipitation to directly benefit society. GPM, initiated by NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) as a global successor to TRMM, comprises a consortium of international space agencies, including the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), and others. The GPM Core Observatory is currently in its system level environmental test program (Phase D) following delivery and integration of the two science instruments, the JAXA Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) and the NASA GPM Microwave Imager (GMI). Launch is scheduled for February 2014, in approximately 18 months, from JAXA's Tanegashima Space Center on a H-IIA launch vehicle.