Author Topic: LIVE: H-IIA GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement) Feb 27, 2014 (1837UTC)  (Read 84716 times)

Offline DavidH

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CPT is complete. S/C has been powered down for the holiday break. I won't see her again til she's on orbit.
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Offline AJA

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So... there's a very strong India connection with this mission.

Why?

Well, we've the second largest agricultural output of all countries - to feed the second largest population. Somewhere close to SIXTY percent of that crop land is rain-fed.

So you can imagine - how a mighty monsoon is regarded as maternal, even magical... while a meek monsoon is murderous.

All that...and the fact that it was mentioned in a Bollywood film way back in 2004... with the lead actor (Shah Rukh Khan) even justifying the expense of the mission!! (Although he didn't exactly use the arguments above, given he's cast as a US citizen (albeit of Indian origin) and is doing so at a NASA Press Briefing).

It's in the first five minutes of :)
« Last Edit: 12/19/2013 04:42 pm by AJA »

Offline Fuji

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Launch of H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 23
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2013/12/20131226_h2af23_e.html

Quote
Scheduled date of Launch :    February 28 (Friday), 2014 (Japan Standard Time)
Launch time    :    3:07 a.m. thru 5:07 a.m. (Japan Standard Time)
Launch Window    :    March 1 (Saturday) through March 31 (Monday), 2014.

Feb.27 18:03-20:03 UTC

Online jacqmans

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December 26, 2013

RELEASE 13-376

NASA and JAXA Announce Launch Date for Global Precipitation Satellite

Environmental research and weather forecasting are about to get a significant technology boost as NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) prepare to launch a new satellite in February.

NASA and JAXA selected 1:07 p.m. to 3:07 p.m. EST Thursday, Feb. 27 (3:07 a.m. to 5:07 a.m. JST Friday, Feb. 28) as the launch date and launch window for a Japanese H-IIA rocket carrying the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory satellite from JAXA's Tanegashima Space Center.

GPM is an international satellite mission that will provide advanced observations of rain and snowfall worldwide, several times a day to enhance our understanding of the water and energy cycles that drive Earth's climate. The data provided by the Core Observatory will be used to calibrate precipitation measurements made by an international network of partner satellites to quantify when, where, and how much it rains or snows around the world.

"Launching this core observatory and establishing the Global Precipitation Measurement mission is vitally important for environmental research and weather forecasting," said Michael Freilich, director of NASA's Earth Science Division in Washington. "Knowing rain and snow amounts accurately over the whole globe is critical to understanding how weather and climate impact agriculture, fresh water availability, and responses to natural disasters."

With the addition of the new Core Observatory, the satellites in the GPM constellation will include the NASA-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership mission, launched in 2012; the NASA-JAXA Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), launched in 1997; and several other satellites managed by JAXA, NOAA, the U.S. Department of Defense, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, the Centre National D'Etudies Spatiales of France and the Indian Space Research Organisation.

"We will use data from the GPM mission not only for Earth science research but to improve weather forecasting and respond to meteorological disasters," said Shizuo Yamamoto, executive director of JAXA. "We would also like to aid other countries in the Asian region suffering from flood disasters by providing data for flood alert systems. Our dual-frequency precipitation radar, developed with unique Japanese technologies, plays a central role in the GPM mission."

The GPM Core Observatory builds on the sensor technology developed for the TRMM mission, with two innovative new instruments. The GPM Microwave Imager, built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo., will observe rainfall and snowfall at 13 different frequencies. The Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar, developed by JAXA with the National Institute of Information and Communication Technology in Tokyo, transmits radar frequencies that will detect ice and light rain, as well as heavier rainfall. It also will be able to measure the size and distribution of raindrops, snowflakes and ice particles.

For more information on the Global Precipitation Measurement mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/gpm

and

http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/gpm/index_e.html
Jacques :-)

Online catdlr

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NASA | GPM: Engineering Next Generation Observations of Rain and Snow

Published on Jan 2, 2014
For more information: http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/r...

For the past three years, the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory has gone from components and assembly drawings to a fully functioning satellite at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The satellite has now arrived in Japan, where it will lift off in early 2014.

The journey to the launch pad has been a long and painstaking process. It began with the most basic assembly of the satellite's frame and electrical system, continued through the integration of its two science instruments, and has now culminated in the completion of a dizzying array of environmental tests to check and recheck that GPM Core Observatory will survive its new home in orbit.

Tony De La Rosa, ...I'm no Feline Dealer!! I move mountains.  but I'm better known for "I think it's highly sexual." Japanese to English Translation.

Offline DavidH

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http://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/january/nasa-hosts-prelaunch-media-events-for-global-precipitation-mission/#.Uss_f7SNtVI

Jan. 6, 2014
M14-005
NASA Hosts Prelaunch Media Events for Global Precipitation Mission

NASA will hold a series of media events Monday, Jan. 27, in advance of the February launch of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory from Japan. The events will be held at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

GPM is an international satellite mission led by NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) that will provide next-generation observations of rain and snow worldwide. GPM data also will contribute to climate research and the forecasting of extreme weather events such as floods and hurricanes.

The GPM Core Observatory is scheduled to lift off Feb. 27, between 1:07 and 3:07 p.m. EST, from JAXA's Tanegashima Space Center in Japan.

Media events include briefings on the GPM mission and science. Briefing panelists are:
 -- Steven Neeck, deputy associate director, flight program, Earth Science, NASA Headquarters, Washington
 -- Masahiro Kojima, GPM Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar project manager, JAXA, Tsukuba
 -- Art Azarbarzin, GPM project manager, Goddard
 -- Ramesh Kakar, GPM program scientist, Headquarters
 -- Gail Skofronick-Jackson, GPM deputy project scientist, Goddard
 -- Riko Oki, GPM project scientist, JAXA

The briefings will begin at 1p.m., Jan. 27, and can be seen on NASA Television and the agency's website. Media may ask questions from participating agency centers by telephone. To participate by phone, reporters must send an email providing name, affiliation and telephone number to Rob Gutro at [email protected] or 301-286-8955 by 11 a.m., Jan. 27.

Other media events at Goddard begin at 11 a.m. with a tour of the GPM control rooms followed by the screening of the new movie "Water Falls," which highlights the science behind the GPM mission projected onto the unique "Science on a Sphere" platform. "Water Falls" debuts at select U.S. science centers in late January.

To attend these GPM events, media must register in advance with the Goddard newsroom by contacting Ellen Gray at 301-286-1950 or [email protected], or Ed Campion at 301-286-0697 or [email protected]. U.S. citizens must register by noon, Thursday, Jan. 16. Foreign nationals must register by noon, Monday, Jan. 13.

For more information about the GPM mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/gpm
For more information about "Water Falls," visit:
http://pmm.nasa.gov/water-falls
- end -

Steve Cole
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0918
[email protected]

Ellen Gray / Ed Campion
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-1950 / 0697
[email protected] / [email protected]
« Last Edit: 01/06/2014 10:46 pm by DavidH »
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Offline AnalogMan

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Status Update: GPM Completes Spacecraft Alignments
Jan. 8, 2014

After a holiday break, final tests for the GPM Core Observatory resumed on Dec. 30, 2013, with alignment measurements. The spacecraft's instruments and components, such as star trackers and thrusters, are attached to the main body in specific configurations. Spacecraft alignment measurement is analogous to alignment for the wheels of a car. The Core Observatory measurements ensure that no parts have shifted during its transportation from the United States to Japan, so they will work as expected.

For the test, small cubes are placed at each part that needs checking and an instrument called a theodolite, similar to a surveyor's instrument, makes exact measurements. Measurements are taken in both the horizontal and vertical orientations of the spacecraft, in order to "see" each cube, and were completed as expected with no problems.

In addition, the GPM team has made up the time lost due to weather delays during the satellite shipment in November. They are currently on schedule for the remainder of testing, which continues with a check of the propulsion system. The GPM Core Observatory is scheduled for launch from JAXA’s Tanegashima Space Center between 1:07 p.m. and 3:07 p.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 27 (3:07 a.m. to 5:07 a.m. Japan Standard Time on Friday, Feb. 28).

http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/status-update-gpm-completes-spacecraft-alignments

Photo Caption:
Engineers perform precision tests on the completed GPM spacecraft prior to launch - scheduled for Feb. 27.  Image Credit: NASA/JAXA

Online catdlr

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NASA | GPM's Journey to Japan

Published on Jan 16, 2014
Built at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., the GPM spacecraft travelled roughly 7,300 miles (11,750 kilometers) to its launch site at Tanegashima Space Center on Tanegashima Island, Japan, where it is scheduled for liftoff on Feb 27, 2014 1:07 pm (EST). GPM's Core Observatory is a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to study rainfall and snowfall around the globe, including weather and storms that the Core Observatory previewed on its trans-Pacific journey.

Tony De La Rosa, ...I'm no Feline Dealer!! I move mountains.  but I'm better known for "I think it's highly sexual." Japanese to English Translation.

Offline Fuji

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H2A F23 will be shipping to Tanegashima island soon.
https://twitter.com/nvslive/status/423740384682856448/photo/1


From this vehicle, about 120kg lighter than previos vehicle (simplify the engine attach structure for 1st stage) and slightly cost reduction is introduced.
http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASG1J4359G1JOIPE00C.html   (Japanese)

Edit: I got the detail information.
This is eliminated for SSB (solid strap-on booster) atachment structure, which is no longer used. SSB is last time used H-IIA F14.
« Last Edit: 01/28/2014 07:35 am by Fuji »

Offline Fuji

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GPM media event at Tanegashima space center.
http://www.sacj.org/openbbs/

Photo by Koumei Shibata.

Big Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) antena is for Ku-band, weight 403kg.
Lower small DPR antena is for ka-band, weight 302kg.
« Last Edit: 01/20/2014 06:39 am by Fuji »

Offline Fuji

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Offline Fuji

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« Last Edit: 01/27/2014 06:14 am by Fuji »

Online jacqmans

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January 27, 2014
RELEASE 14-034


NASA, JAXA Prepare Rain and Snow Satellite for Launch


The world enters a new era of global weather observing and climate science in February with the launch of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory, a new international science satellite built by NASA.

GPM, a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is scheduled to launch Feb. 27 from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. The observatory will link data from a constellation of current and planned satellites to produce next-generation global measurements of rainfall and snowfall from space.

The GPM mission is the first coordinated international satellite network to provide near real-time observations of rain and snow every three hours anywhere on the globe. The GPM Core Observatory anchors this network by providing observations on all types of precipitation. The observatory's data acts as the measuring stick by which partner observations can be combined into a unified data set. The data will be used by scientists to study climate change, freshwater resources, floods and droughts, and hurricane formation and tracking.

“The water-cycle, so familiar to all school-age young scientists, is one of the most interesting, dynamic, and important elements in our studies of the Earth’s weather and climate,” said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.  “GPM will provide scientists and forecasters critical information to help us understand and cope with future extreme weather events and fresh water resources."

The GPM Core Observatory will fly 253 miles (407 kilometers) above Earth in an orbit inclined 65-degrees to the equator. This orbit allows the Core Observatory to observe precipitation from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle at different times of day so it is able to observe changing storm and weather systems that behave differently during day and night. Normal operations will begin about 60 days after launch.  Data will be downlinked through NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System to the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center's Precipitation Processing Center in Greenbelt, Md., where it will be processed and distributed over the Internet.

GPM's Core Observatory carries two instruments to measure rain and snowfall:  the Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR), designed by JAXA and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology in Japan, and built by NEC Toshiba Space Systems Ltd., Tokyo; and the GPM Microwave Imager (GMI), provided by NASA and built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. in Boulder, Colo. Together, these two instruments will collect improved observations that will allow scientists to better "see" inside clouds. In particular, they both provide new capabilities for observing smaller particles of rain, ice and snow.

"Knowledge of how water moves around the Earth system through precipitation is vital for monitoring freshwater resources," said Gail Skofronick-Jackson, GPM project scientist at Goddard. "The data from the GPM mission provides unprecedented measurements of global precipitation. The GPM Core Observatory will observe detailed characteristics of rain and snow systems that are also extremely important for improving weather and climate forecasts."

The DPR precipitation radar adds a new frequency with which to observe precipitation, allowing it to capture ice and light rain. It will return three-dimensional profiles and intensities of liquid and solid precipitation that will reveal the internal structure of storms within and below clouds.

The GMI is a microwave radiometer designed to sense the total precipitation within all cloud layers. In addition to collecting data on heavy to moderate rain, four new channels will be sensitive to light rain and snowfall, two types of precipitation that are especially prevalent in mountain regions and the higher latitudes over North America, Europe and Asia.

Together, DPR and GMI will provide observations on the size, intensity and distribution of raindrops and snowflakes. Scientists will be able to use this data to look at how precipitation behaves and influences weather and climate patterns. These patterns affect the distribution of fresh water around the world, impacting supplies for drinking water and agriculture.

The GPM Core Observatory, built by Goddard, will launch on an H-IIA rocket provided by JAXA. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. is managing the launch.

GPM Core Observatory is the latest mission to support NASA's mission to monitor Earth's vital signs from land, air and space with a fleet of satellites and airborne and ground-based observation campaigns. NASA develops new ways to observe and study Earth's interconnected natural systems with long-term data records and computer analysis tools to better see how our planet is changing. The agency shares this unique knowledge with the global community and works with institutions in the United States and around the world that contribute to understanding and protecting our home planet.

For more information about NASA's Earth science activities in 2014, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/earthrightnow

For more information about GPM, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/gpm

Jacques :-)

Offline John44

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Offline AJA

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Screenshots from that must-watch briefing (For the Japanese Engineer in the first briefing, and his enunciation of the mission slogan at least).

Offline Fuji

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Piggyback satellite information are here.

-STARS-II (Kagawa University)
 http://stars1.eng.kagawa-u.ac.jp/english/top.html
-TeikyoSat-3 (Teikyo University)
 http://club.uccl.teikyo-u.ac.jp/~space_system_society/teikyosat-3e.html
-ITF-1 (Tsukuba University)
 http://yui.kz.tsukuba.ac.jp/?lang=en
-OPUSAT (Osaka Prefecture University) :still Japanese page only
 http://www.sssrc.aero.osakafu-u.ac.jp/projects/OPUSAT/home.html
-INVADER (Tama Art University)  :still Japanese page only
 http://artsat.jp/invader/
-KSAT2 (Kagoshima University)
 http://leo.sci.kagoshima-u.ac.jp/KSAT-HP/Ksathp.html

Offline Fuji

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Attaching Solid Rocket Boosters to the HII-A Launch Vehicle
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/GPM/multimedia/hii-a-solid-boosters/
Attaching solid rocket boosters to GPM's launch vehicle, the HII-A No. 23.
Image  Credit: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Offline Danderman

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http://www.nasa.gov/content/crew-conducts-science-begins-unloading-russian-cargo-craft/#.UvRMtM6Raul

Deployment of CubeSATs from ISS delayed

"The deployment of the first batch of CubeSats, which had originally been scheduled for this week before being postponed following last week’s installation issue, has been postponed further to make sure that the CubeSats do not fall into the intended orbit of the Global Precipitation Measurement satellite launching later this month."

Offline DavidH

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GPM Core Observatory Installed into Rocket Fairing
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/GPM/main/index.html#.UwJ_kYUzxVJ

The Global Precipitation Measurement Core (GPM) Observatory is scheduled to launch on Feb. 27 (EST) from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan.
On Feb. 11, the Core Observatory was moved into the into the Encapsulation Hal of the spacecraft fairing assembly building. Final inspections and preparations were completed for the installation into the fairing, which began on Feb 13. The fairing is the part of the rocket that will contain the spacecraft at the top of the H-IIA rocket.
The encapsulation process for the H-IIA is very different than for most U.S. rockets. For U.S. rockets, the fairing is usually in two pieces that close around the payload like a clamshell. To install the GPM Core Observatory into the fairing of the H-IIA rocket, first the Core Observatory and the Payload Attach Fitting (PAF) are set up in scaffolding in the Encapsulation Hall. Then, the fairing is lifted above and lowered onto the fitting. When only a few feet remain above the final position, stanchions support the fairing while technicians go inside to complete the electrical connections. When this is completed, they remove the stanchions and lower the fairing to its final position, where it is bolted in place.
Over the next few days, the installation process will continue, including the installation of access panels and mating connectors for spacecraft separation.
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Offline DavidH

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 Today:
  * PLF A/C checkout. (MHI)
  * PLF move from the SFA to the VAB. (MHI)
  * Attach PLF to the LV. (MHI)
    * We are now hooked up to the rocket !! … Cool !!
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