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European Space Agency Is Potential GPM Partner

The European Space Agency (ESA) recently approved and funded a Phase-A study for the European Global Precipitation Measurement (EGPM) mission. A Phase-A study is a feasibility study, where project scientists and engineers develop a design concept, a potential budget profile, and a plan to accomplish the mission. Members of the European scientific community submitted the EGPM proposal to ESA. Co-Principal Investigators include Dr. Alberto Mugnai (Instituto di Fisica della Atmosfera, Italy) and Dr. Jacques Testud (Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace, France). The ESA Program Scientist is Dr. Paul Ingmann (ESA, The Netherlands).The EGPM proposal calls for a Sun synchronous satellite flying at an altitude approximately 600 km above Earth. The spacecraft will carry two main instruments. The first is a multiple-channel, passive microwave radiometer that will include standard rain frequencies and additional high frequencies for measurement of light rain and snow. The second proposed instrument is a multiple beam, nadir-viewing Ka-band rain radar.EGPM is intended to meet multiple scientific objectives. If the mission continues to fruition, EGPM will:

• Expand the understanding of cold region precipitation

• Improve weather prediction through data assimilation, including support of the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasting’s long-term precipitation data research program

• Improve flash flood prediction, especially the flood-prone mountainous zones of the coastal Mediterranean region

• Help scientists solve additional climate, weather, and hydrological research problems that are related directly to regional scale water cycle problems

Watch future issues of The GPM Monitor for more news regarding this exciting potential partnership.

NASA & NASDA Partner for Global Water Cycle Observation

The National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) share a history of strong partnerships. For example, their recent collaboration on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) is a grand success. TRMM is providing the meteorological community with a wealth of information, enabling greater understanding of tropical rainfall and the associated release of energy that helps to power global atmospheric circulation, shaping both weather and climate around the world. TRMM was launched via a Japanese H-II rocket in November 1997. For TRMM, the Japanese designed and built the state-of-the-art onboard precipitation radar instrument that enables scientists to view the structure of storm systems in three-dimensions for the first time ever.

NASDA also collaborated with the NASA on the Aqua mission—just launched on May 4, 2002—which is providing data about our planet’s water cycle. NASDA developed the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS (AMSR-E), one of Aqua’s onboard sensors. In addition, NASA is providing the SeaWinds instrument for NASDA’s ADEOS-II satellite, which will be launched later this year.

Japan and the United States plan to build on these and other successful partnerships by working together on GPM. In fact, a Letter of Agreement (LOA) between NASDA and NASA is currently in the works.

The current concept involves NASDA developing the Dual frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instrument for the GPM Core Spacecraft. NASDA will also supply the launch vehicle for the Core Spacecraft, and develop a GPM data distribution system, including a data center that will be capable of interfacing with other international GPM data centers. NASDA will host and participate in science team meetings, science conferences, workshops, and other meetings required to coordinate GPM system development. NASA and NASDA will exchange interface engineering information [as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) permit], and support the exchange of scientific and engineering personnel for planning the GPM effort.

The LOA is expected to be signed shortly, and will be followed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU will be based upon NASA/NASDA formulation activities, and will finalize the responsibilities of the two nations in carrying out GPM.

Canadian Expertise to Augment GPM

Representatives from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) are working to establish a mutually beneficial partnership. A Canadian alliance would be especially valuable to both parties, because CSA shares a similar interest in the study of precipitation, and has already invested in existing facilities and experienced personnel who could partner with GPM without a significant ramp-up effort.

For example, CSA is presently collaborating with the Colorado State University and other institutions on the CloudSat mission, scheduled for launch in 2004. CloudSat will use radar to measure the vertical structure of clouds and cloud properties—a mission quite complimentary to that of GPM.

There are numerous objectives that a Canadian partnership with GPM could achieve. For instance, CSA and NASA could potentially work together to:

• Develop a near “real-time” solid (e.g., frozen) precipitation product/datastream using satellite algorithms, radar, aircraft surveys, collection bucket networks, etc.

• Leverage Canadian participation in the CloudSat project to further resolve the relationship between clouds and precipitation

• Establish a GPM Ground Validation site or “Supersite” in Canada with a primary focus on solid precipitation

• Coordinate with CSA and other Canadian agencies to understand and develop data product requirements (quality, resolution, latency, etc.) for effective use of GPM data

• Explore the feasibility of future CSA contributions to the GPM satellite constellation

CSA representatives took part in the First GPM Planning Workshop in Maryland in 2001, and the Second Planning Workshop, recently held in Japan. They also participate in and co-chair a NASA-CSA working group, whose members are working to define the exact parameters of the Canadian partnership in various disciplines of mutual interest to NASA and CSA. Additionally, GPM scientists attended a Canadian-sponsored workshop on precipitation in Fairbanks, Alaska in June.

Although no formal agreements between NASA and CSA have been established yet, representatives from both organizations agree that the situation is promising.