JAXA

GPM Completes Final Checks, Prepares for Fueling

The GPM Core Observatory completed final checks and the team is preparing to install it in the transportation canister that will move it to the spacecraft and fairing assembly building at JAXA’s Tanegashima Space Center, Japan. There, the spacecraft will be fueled next week, followed by installation into the fairing that will contain the spacecraft on the top of the H-IIA rocket. Last week, GPM passed its Operational Readiness Reviewat NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. A NASA panel reviewed all systems and procedures in place for GPM's ground, operation and control systems
NASA, JAXA Prepare GPM Satellite for Launch
Watch the GPM L-30 Press Briefing on Youtube: Part 1: GPM Mission Briefing Part 2: GPM Science Briefing The world enters a new era of global weather observing and climate science in February with the launch of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory, a new international science satellite built by NASA. GPM, a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is scheduled to launch Feb. 27 from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. The observatory will link data from a constellation of current and planned satellites to produce next-generation global...
GPM Liftoff
A Japanese H-IIA rocket with the NASA-Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory onboard, is seen launching from the Tanegashima Space Center, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014 (Friday Feb. 28 in Japan). The GPM spacecraft will collect information that unifies data from an international network of existing and future satellites to map global rainfall and snowfall every three hours. . Download in High Resolution from the Scientific Visualization Studio Launch Date: February 27th 2014 Launch Time: 1:37 pm ET Launch Vehicle: HII-A Rocket Launch Site...

GPM's Launch Vehicle Arrives at Tanegashima Space Center

The launch vehicle for the Global Precipitation Measurement, or GPM, mission's Core Observatory arrived at Tanegashima Space Center, Japan, in the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday, Jan. 21, local time. The Japanese H-IIA rocket, No. 23, has two stages that arrived by cargo freighter the previous evening. They were then trucked across the island in the middle of the night when no cars were on the road. Both stages of the Japanese H-IIA rocket arrived at Tanegashima Island, Japan on Jan. 20, 2014. Above, the first stage in its shipping container is lifted off of the cargo freighter. It and the upper

GPM Completes Propulsion System Checks, End-to-End Test, Mission Rehearsal

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory had a busy week at Tanegashima Space Center, Japan. The GPM propulsion team did a thorough check of the propulsion system to prepare for fueling the spacecraft later this month. In addition, the GPM completed a full End-to-End test. End-to-End testing simulates mission conditions with the ground systems and communication systems between the spacecraft, data return functions, the Mission Operations Center and Precipitation Processing System at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and the Japan Aerospace Exploration
New Video Shows GPM's Journey to Japan
Pack it up, put it on a plane and fly it to Japan. It sounds simple enough, but a new video from NASA shows when your package is a satellite, it's anything but. NASA's new video, "GPM's Journey to Japan," highlights the unique shipment of the Global Precipitation Measurement mission's Core Observatory by air, land and sea. Built at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., the GPM spacecraft travelled roughly 7,300 miles (11,750 kilometers) to its launch site at Tanegashima Space Center on Tanegashima Island, Japan, where it is scheduled for liftoff on Feb. 27, 2014, at 1:07 p.m...
GPM Completes Spacecraft Alignments
After a holiday break, final tests for the GPM Core Observatory resumed on Dec. 30, 2013, with alignment measurements. The spacecraft's instruments and components, such as star trackers and thrusters, are attached to the main body in specific configurations. Spacecraft alignment measurement is analogous to alignment for the wheels of a car. The Core Observatory measurements ensure that no parts have shifted during its transportation from the United States to Japan, so they will work as expected. The GPM Core Observatory in the clean room at Tanegashima Space Center, Japan Image Credit: NASA /...