From left: Riko Oki, GPM Project Scientist, JAXA, Yukari Takayabu, Professor, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, Gail Skofronick-Jackson, NASA GPM Project Scientist, and, Ramesh Kakar, GPM Program Earth Scientist , NASA Headquarters, are seen during a science briefing for the launch of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory aboard an H-IIA rocket, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014, Tanegashima Space Center, Japan. Launch is scheduled for early in the morning of Feb. 28 Japan time.

Seated from left: Tatsuo Namikawa, Director, Mitsubishi Launch Site Service Team (MILSET), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Masahiro Kojima, GPM Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar project manager, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Art Azarbarzin, NASA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) project manager, Steven Neeck, NASA Deputy Associate Director, Flight Programs, Earth Science Division, and, Hiroyuki Nagata, Director Range Technology Development Office Space Transportation Mission Directorate, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are seen during a technical briefing for

Launch pad 1 is seen at the Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC) on Monday, Feb. 24, 2014 in Tanegashima, Japan. A Japanese H-IIA rocket carrying the NASA-Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory is planned for launch from pad 1 on Feb. 28, 2014. Once launched, 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. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)