A Japanese H-IIA rocket, with the NASA-JAXA GPM Core Observatory onboard, launched from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center.
Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory, a joint Earth-observing mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), launched Feb. 27, 2014.
The four-ton spacecraft launched aboard a Japanese H-IIA rocket from Tanegashima Space Center on Tanegashima Island in southern Japan. The GPM spacecraft separated from the rocket 16 minutes after launch at an altitude of 247 miles (398 kilometers). The solar arrays deployed 10 minutes after spacecraft separation to power the spacecraft.
“With this launch, we have taken another giant leap in providing the world with an unprecedented picture of our planet’s rain and snow,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. “GPM will help us better understand our ever-changing climate, improve forecasts of extreme weather events like floods, and assist decision makers around the world to better manage water resources.
The GPM Core Observatory will take a major step in improving upon the capabilities of the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM), a joint NASA-JAXA mission launched in 1997 and still in operation. While TRMM measures precipitation in the tropics, the GPM Core Observatory expands the coverage area from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle. GPM also will be able to detect light rain and snowfall, a major source of available fresh water in some regions.
Image courtesy of NASA/Bill Ingalls.
