Ball Aerospace and Technologies has delivered the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI) to Goddard Space Flight Center, to be incorporated with a NASA spacecraft.
When launched aboard the GPM space-borne Core Observatory in 2014, the GMI instrument will collect data on worldwide precipitation and the Earth’s environmental forecasting, which will improve climate, weather and hydrological predictions.
The GPM mission is a joint effort programme between NASA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and other international partners.
Cary Ludtke, Ball Civil and Operational Space business unit vice president and general manager, said: "The outstanding team working on the GPM mission is collaborating successfully to bring this scientifically important project ever closer to launch."
Ball Aerospace was responsible for the design, development and fabrication of the 8ft tall, conical-scan microwave instrument GMI.
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By GlobalDataGMI will improve on-orbit calibration and space-borne radiometry by rotating at 32 revolutions per minute, using four stable calibration points on each revolution to calibrate the scanned data.
The process allows for temporal sampling of rainfall accumulations as well as more frequent and advanced quality data collection.
NASA Goddard GPM project scientist, Arthur Hou, said: "Together with the radar flying on the Core satellite, the GMI will provide a unique database to characterise precipitating particles in different parts of the world, something that is currently not possible."
Hou continued: "This database is key to obtaining unified and accurate precipitation data from the entire GPM constellation of radiometers."
GMI was designed based on the company’s previously built microwave sensors including the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C (SIR-C), GEOSAT Follow-On (GFO) and the Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS).
Following the launch, the company will provide post-delivery support at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and launch site, including post launch support.
Image: GMI instrument aboard the GPM space-borne Core Observatory will collect data on precipitation to help in weather predictions. Photo: Ball Aerospace
