GPM News

Following yesterday’s activities with the two science instruments associated with the Global Precipitation Measurement core observatory, the flight control team’s attention today is focused on the observatory’s onboard maneuvering thrusters. The satellite has a dozen thrusters: four forward and eight aft. The flight team is activating and initializing the thrusters over the course of today. A brief (5 second) propulsion burn to further calibrate the thrusters is planned for early this week. GPM’s propulsion system has two functions. First, to adjust its orbit and maintain altitude, and second

Following activation and warm up of the Global Precipitation Measurement Microwave Imager (GMI) electronic systems, the team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., deployed the main reflector of the U.S. science instrument for the GPM Core Observatory. A significant step was also achieved today in the activation of the science instrument provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) with the turning on of the controller for the Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR). The DPR will provide three-dimensional information about precipitation particles derived from

Friday evening, GPM flight controllers at NASA Goddard began using the satellite’s High Gain Antenna system for high-rate data rate transmissions through NASA’s orbiting fleet of Tracking Data Relay Satellites. Having high-rate data flowing through the TDRS system allows the spacecraft recorder to be downloaded more frequently. During science operations, TDRS communication will allow availability of science data within 3 hours of measurement. Just after 11 a.m. EST on Saturday, March 1st, the flight team began the activation of one of the two main science instruments on the GPM observatory –

The GPS system has been switched on. This tells the satellite the time and its location with respect to the Earth's surface. The team is readying the spacecraft to use its High Gain Antenna for high data-rate communication through the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System.

The GPM Core Observatory continues power positive, stable on the sun line and communicating with the GPM Mission Operations Center at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The spacecraft magnetic torquer bar polarity was adjusted to eliminate rotational momentum gain. Star trackers were turned on and the High Gain Antenna was successfully deployed. Within the next day or two, the spacecraft controllers at NASA Goddard will begin to use the antenna to communicate with the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System for commands from the ground, data and health and safety information

The GPM spacecraft is power positive, stable on the sun line and communicating with the GPM Mission Operations Center (MOC) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The GPM flight control teams at NASA Goddard are studying a situation with the spacecraft where the satellite is gaining a small amount of rotational momentum. In a normal state, there are environmental forces on the spacecraft that are corrected by the momentum wheels and magnetic torquer bars. At this time, the momentum wheels are being used more than expected. This situation does not pose any threat to the health of

The GPM Core Observatory has successfully deployed its solar arrays and is stable and pointed at the sun. GPM’s solar arrays are pointed at the sun and collecting power. We have confirmation that the arrays are rotating properly, charging the batteries and providing power to the spacecraft.

Solar array deployment begins. GPM has two arrays to power the spacecraft because of its orbit. It circles the Earth at an angle slanted 65 degrees up from the equator. This means it does not cross the equator at the same time every day – an advantage for monitoring rainfall at different times of day and night.

1:55pm EST, 2/27/14 We have spacecraft separation! The GPM Core Observatory is flying on its own in orbit. The bolts holding it to the second stage sucessfully severed and the second stage has separated. The GPM spacecraft is flying on battery power until its two solar arrays deploy shortly. 1:52pm EST, 2/27/14 The nosecone fairing that protected the GPM Core Observatory through the atmosphere has safely separated and fallen away. 1:47pm EST, 2/27/14 The GPM Core Observatory has begun transmitting telemetry on to Mission Operations Control at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. 1

Thu , 2014-02-27 12:40 p.m. EST The green light has been given to the X-60 minutes countdown operation for launch of the NASA-JAXA GPM Core Observatory from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan. Launch is scheduled for 3:37 a.m. JST (Feb. 27 at 1:37 p.m. EST).