It was night in Japan when the Core Observatory satellite, part of the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM), was launched on a H-IIA 202 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center, run by JAXA, the Japanese space agency, on the island of Tanegashima. After about 16 minutes, the satellite separated from the second stage of the rocket and successfully entered low Earth orbit. In the following minutes, it deployed its solar panels and started sending signals, confirming that it works.
JAXA and NASA had already worked together in the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), which in 1997 launched a satellite with the aim to monitor and study tropical rainfall. Environmental research related to rainfall has become more important than ever because of the more and more extreme phenomena in recent years. For this reason, the collaboration was extended in the GPM mission, in which a series of satellites will provide monitoring of rainfall and snowfall.
The development of the Core Observatory satellite was managed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in collaboration with JAXA. Its aim is the mapping of the two-dimensional and three-dimensional structure of the rainfall patterns on Earth. The Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) and the GPM Microwave Imager (GMI) will allow the satellite to collect data that will be processed by NASA and JAXA.
The GPM mission includes other space agencies such as ESA and ISRO (the Indian Space Agency) and other U.S. agencies that will work together adding the data of other satellites, meteorological and some others performing environment research missions. Some of these satellites are already in operation, such as the old TRMM, others will be launched in the future.
The new generation satellite Core Observatory, together with the other satellites participating in the GPM mission will give precipitation survey a new level of precision. In addition to the direct control of rain and snow, we’ll have a better understanding of the water cycle, which evaporates and condenses all the time.
The observations carried out in the GPM mission will improve forecasting, also of extreme events that can have catastrophic effects. They’ll also be useful in monitoring the world’s water resources, another crucial element considering that only a small part of the water is drinkable.
Once the testing phase is done, the Core Observatory satellite will start its observations completing an orbit every 93 minutes. From an altitude of 407 km (253 miles) for at least three years it will send valuable data that will be available for everyone.
[ad name=”AmazonDocumentary”]
