Following yesterday’s activities with the two science instruments associated with the Global Precipitation Measurement core observatory, the flight control team’s attention today is focused on the observatory’s onboard maneuvering thrusters.

The satellite has a dozen thrusters: four forward and eight aft. The flight team is activating and initializing the thrusters over the course of today. A brief (5 second) propulsion burn to further calibrate the thrusters is planned for early this week.

GPM’s propulsion system has two functions. First, to adjust its orbit and maintain altitude, and second, to compensate for the spacecraft drifting toward Earth.