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Spaceborne Precipitation Radar Ships from Japan to U.S.

By Aries Keck, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Original www.nasa.gov Press Release (published 2/8/12) GREENBELT, Md. – Japanese scientists and engineers have completed construction on a new instrument designed to take 3-D measurements of the shapes, sizes and other physical characteristics of both raindrops and snowflakes. The instrument will be shipped from Japan to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to be integrated into an upcoming NASA Earth science satellite. Designed and built by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Japan's National Institute of Information

GPM Takes a Spin on the Centrifuge (page 2)

GPM flying over Earth with a data swath visualized.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
NASA technicians spun the GPM satellite up to just over 10 RPM in Goddard Space Flight Center’s High-Capacity Centrifuge facility March 31 2011. Put Some Spin On It If you've ever taken a fast curve in a car, you've felt your body pushed outward, away from the curve. That outward push is centrifugal force, and the faster you turn, the more it pushes you away from the center. Spinning on the centrifuge does the same thing to the satellite -- except the centrifugal forces are a lot bigger -- capable of going up to 30 times the force of gravity, or "g's." GPM's test went up to seven g's. But...
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GPM Takes a Spin on the Centrifuge

GPM on the High Capacity Centrifuge
Thursday, October 20, 2011
In the clean room at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt Md., the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission's Core satellite is steadily taking shape. Set to measure rainfall worldwide after launch in 2014, GPM's two solar panels are the latest components currently undergoing rigorous testing before being integrated with the spacecraft, a process that began seven months ago when the main structural elements went on an unusual ride. GPM moves from the clean room to the test chamber on a dolly without wheels. Compressed air is pumped out under airpads that float the Spacecraft on...
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Testing GPM on the High Capacity Centrifuge

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GPM moves from the clean room to the test chamber on a dolly without wheels. Compressed air is pumped out under airpads that float the Spacecraft on a bed of air. The wind generated when the centrifuge moves at its maximum speed are more than 200 mph - that's tornado speed. But since they move with the centrifuge the satellites tested only feel 20 mph winds. Leaning outward at 45 degrees for one test orientation, GPM comes within 28 inches of the wall. When lifted onto the platform it cleared the ceiling by only five inches.

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