Friday evening, GPM flight controllers at NASA Goddard began using the satellite’s High Gain Antenna system for high-rate data rate transmissions through NASA’s orbiting fleet of Tracking Data Relay Satellites.

Having high-rate data flowing through the TDRS system allows the spacecraft recorder to be downloaded more frequently. During science operations, TDRS communication will allow availability of science data within 3 hours of measurement.

Just after 11 a.m. EST on Saturday, March 1st, the flight team began the activation of one of the two main science instruments on the GPM observatory – the Global Precipitation Measurement Microwave Imager or GMI.

Initial activation involves turning on the instrument control electronic systems and then allowing several hours for things to warm up.

GMI is the U.S. science contribution to the mission and was designed, developed and built by Ball Aerospace.

When it begins full-time observations, the GMI instrument will play an essential role in the worldwide measurement of precipitation. GMI will be extremely beneficial to forecasters during extreme weather events and data gathered will allow scientists to both track tropical cyclones and forecast their progression or provide the best ever data of falling snow observed from space.