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Content which is affiliated solely with the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission.

GPM Begins Final Comprehensive Performance Test

The mechanical team has only a few inches of clearance between the L-frame and the satellite. Image Credit: NASA / Michael Starobin The Global Precipitation Measurement mission's Core Observatory began its final Comprehensive Performance Test at Tanegashima Space Center in Japan on Dec. 9, 2013. The test will run 24/7 over the next few weeks as every system and subsystem is turned on and run through its tasks. This is the first time all the Core Observatory systems have been powered on since its shipment to Japan. The results of the tests will be compared to pre-shipment performance test

GPM Mission Project Scientist Passes Away

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Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Arthur Hou, the project scientist for the upcoming Global Precipitation Measurement mission, died at home Nov. 20 from pancreatic cancer, which he had battled for more than a year. Dr. Arthur Hou, the project scientist for the upcoming Global Precipitation Measurement, or GPM, mission, died Nov. 20, 2013. Image Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center “Arthur was an exemplary project scientist who kept the GPM flame alive during the various challenges as the project was being formulated and developed,” said Nick White, director of the Sciences and Exploration Directorate at NASA’s Goddard...
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GPM Undergoes Post-Shipment Inspections

Following arrival in a cleanroom at the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan, the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) core observatory was attached to a custom-designed satellite mount which allowed the NASA team on-site to perform preliminary inspections and evaluations of the spacecraft. Image Credit: NASA/Michael Starobin Following the Global Precipitation Measurement Core Observatory’s arrival at the Tangashema Space Center in Japan, efforts by the NASA and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency team will now focus on final checkouts and preparation for launch in early 2014. After the

The Anatomy of a Raindrop

Submitted by JacobAdmin on
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When asked to picture the shape of raindrops, many of us will imagine water looking like tears that fall from our eyes, or the stretched out drip from a leaky faucet. This popular misconception is often reinforced in weather imagery associated with predictions and forecasts.

Raindrops are actually shaped like the top of a hamburger bun, round on the top and flat on the bottom. This new video from the Global Precipitation Measurement mission explains why.

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The Anatomy of a Raindrop

PMM Article Image
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
When asked to picture the shape of raindrops, many of us will imagine water looking like tears that fall from our eyes, or the stretched out drip from a leaky faucet. This popular misconception is often reinforced in weather imagery associated with predictions and forecasts. Raindrops are actually shaped like the top of a hamburger bun, round on the top and flat on the bottom. A new video from the Global Precipitation Measurement mission explains why. This short video explains how a raindrop falls through the atmosphere and why a more accurate look at raindrops can improve estimates of global...
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GPM Arrives at Tanegashima Space Center

Following arrival at Japan’s Kitakyushu Airport at 10:30 p.m. EST Saturday, Nov. 23, the GPM Core Observatory spacecraft in its shipping container was off-loaded from the C-5 aircraft and moved to a barge to be transported to Tanegashima Island. GPM's shipping container is unloaded from the U.S. Air Force C-5 cargo plane that carried it to Japan. Image Credit: NASA The barge departed Kitakyushu around 6:30 a.m. EST Sunday, Nov. 24, but a third of the way to the island, an unplanned stop had to be made at a port called Saiki to protect the ship from weather and rough seas. The barge arrived at
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