- Home
- GPM
- TRMM
-
Science
- Science Overview
- Research Topics
- Storm Structure and Mesoscale Dynamics
- Precipitation Microphysics
- Global Water Cycle
- Climate Change
- Precipitation Algorithms
- Radar Algorithms
- Radiometer Algorithms
- Combined Algorithms
- Multi-Satellite Algorithms
- Applications
- Meetings
- Data Access
- Resources
- Education
GPM Flight Project
Overview
The GPM Core Observatory will serve as a reference standard to a constellation of research and operational microwave sensors aimed at providing uniformly calibrated precipitation measurements around the globe every 2-4 hours for scientific research and societal applications. The GPM Flight Project is responsible for providing the following components:
- GPM Core Observatory
- GPM Microwave Imager (GMI) radiometer
- Mission Operations Center for the Core Observatory
- Ground Validation System
- Precipitation Processing System (PPS) operations
The GPM Flight Project also works with internal and external NASA partners to coordinate other elements of the mission.
-
Carrying both a dual frequency radar instrument and a passive microwave radiometer, the Core Spacecraft will serve as a calibration standard for the other members of the GPM spacecraft constellation. The Core Spacecraft is being developed and tested in-house at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The GPM Core Observatory planned orbit inclination (65 degrees) is such that it enables the orbit to cut across the orbits of other microwave radiometers, sample the latitudes where nearly all precipitation occurs, and sample at different times of day. The GPM Core Observatory (GMI) instrument science... -
One of the prime instruments for the GPM Core Observatory is called the Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR). The DPR consists of a Ku-band precipitation radar (KuPR) and a Ka-band precipitation radar (KaPR). The KuPR (13.6 GHz) is an updated version of the highly successful unit flown on the TRMM mission. The KuPR and the KaPR will be co-aligned on the GPM spacecraft bus such that that the 5 km footprint location on the earth will be the same. -
The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI) instrument is a multi-channel, conical- scanning, microwave radiometer serving an essential role in the near-global-coverage and frequent-revisit-time requirements of GPM. The instrumentation enables the Core spacecraft to serve as both a precipitation standard and as a radiometric standard for the other GPM constellation members. The GMI is characterized by thirteen microwave channels ranging in frequency from 10 GHz to 183 GHz. In addition to carrying channels similar to those on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission...
