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One of the prime instruments onboard the GPM Core Observatory is 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, which operates at 13.6 GHz, is an updated version of the highly successful unit flown on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). The KuPR and the KaPR are co-aligned on the GPM spacecraft bus such that the 5-km footprint location on the earth is 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 (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI), the GMI carries four high frequency, millimeter-wave, channels near 166 GHz and 183 GHz. With a 1.2 m diameter antenna, the GMI provides significantly improved spatial resolution over TMI.

Learn about different websites and tools that allow you to visualize data from NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM).

Looking ahead it is becoming apparent that the future of precipitation research is probably not one in which satellite data are used in isolation. Instead, integration of satellite precipitation measurements with ground observations, cloud resolving models (CRMs) and land surface data assimilation systems (LDAS) is likely to replace satellite-only precipitation products, particularly for forecasting and hydrological applications that require precipitation as input. This is already apparent in the analyzed precipitation products over the continental US and similar activities in Japan. Hence