GPM

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

GPM: Hurricanes Beyond the Tropics

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On August 28, 2011, Tropical Storm Irene hit Vermont, causing widespread damage and the worst flooding in 75 years. Irene's impact in New England shows that tropical cyclones can greatly affect regions outside the view of TRMM. The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission will build upon TRMM's legacy by examining a larger swath of Earth with more sensitive instruments.

 

Solar Array Vibration and Acoustic Testing

GPM's two solar array wings completed vibration and acoustic testing at Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. The solar arrays were integrated to an identical copy of the Lower Bus Structure of the satellite for this testing. These tests and deployments demonstrate the ability of the solar array to withstand the vibrations and sounds the satellite will be subject to during launch as well as test the ability of the solar arrays to unfold once in orbit. Diagram of the GPM Core Observatory depicting various components of the Solar Array Assembly.

GPM Microwave Imager (GMI) Testing

The GPM Microwave Imager (GMI) successfully completed a walkout deployment, spin-up and functional and interface testing after being integrated onto the core spacecraft in May, 2012. These series of tests confirmed electrical and functional performance of the GMI with the GPM Core Observatory. The GMI undergoing mechanical integration in March 2012.

High Gain Antenna System Testing

The High Gain Antenna System onboard the GPM Core Observatory was successfully deployed and functionally tested after being integrated onto the spacecraft late last year. The HGAS is responsible for relaying data collected by the satellite’s instruments to Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRS) satellites. Data is sent back to Goddard Space Flight Center via a NASA wide-area network. The GPM High Gain Antenna System (HGAS) in integration and testing at Goddard Space Flight Center.

5th International GPM Ground Validation Workshop

The 5th International Workshop for GPM Ground Validation (GV) hosted by Environment Canada was held on July 10-12, 2012, in Toronto, Canada. The primary objectives of the workshop were to improve understanding of high-latitude GV priorities and practices, identify and prioritize remaining issues with algorithm development, increase coordination amongst international partners, and improved understanding of how such information can be incorporated into GPM retrieval algorithms. Over 80 participants from 15 nations attended the workshop to report on cooperative ground validation activities

Global Precipitation Measurement Constellation

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Nine U.S. and international satellites will soon be united by the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, a partnership co-led by NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). NASA and JAXA will provide the GPM Core satellite to serve as a reference for precipitation measurements made by this constellation of satellites, which will be combined into a single global dataset continually refreshed every three hours.
 

NASA engineer working on GPM
The electrical integration of the Global Precipitation Measurement Microwave Imager (GMI) instrument onto the GPM Core Observatory was successfully completed in April 2012. Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. Boulder, Colo. built the GMI, which arrived at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. in early March and after post shipment processing it was handed over to NASA. The GMI is one of the key instruments for the GPM Core Observatory. This instrument is a passive radiometer with 13 channels covering frequencies from 10 to 183 GHz. In May, 2012, the Dual-frequency...
The NPOL radar and a Summer Tanger
By Ellen Gray , NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Original www.nasa.gov Press Release (published 6/7/12) NASA and Nature Conservancy Agreement Supports [no-glossary]Precipitation[/no-glossary] and Migratory Bird Research The NASA NPOL radar is a research grade S-band, scanning dual-polarimetric radar. It underwent a complete antenna system upgrade in 2010 and is one of two fully transportable research-grade S-band systems in the world. It is used to make accurate volumetric measurements of precipitation including rainfall rate, particle size distributions, water contents and precipitation type...