Conceptual study of the future cloud-precipitation observation mission from space

Abstract

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) has been providing reliable global precipitation data since its launch in 1997. It is expected that good handover to the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission at around early 2014 and GPM is expected to operate 5 years and to accumulate a reliable global long precipitation record. Currently, the dual frequency precipitation radar (DPR), one of the major instruments onboard GPM core satellite, has been developed. Although about twenty years global precipitation record will be obtained by the end of the GPM mission, there are still high expectation for the longer precipitation record from the viewpoints of climate change monitoring, evaluation of the numerical prediction models on global warming, and so on. Even the precipitation information becomes more important. For these reasons, future precipitation measurement mission is started to study targeting the successive observation to GPM. Mission requirements are gathered from GPM science community and are consolidated to the mission concept during this study also the potential users and their expected requirements are defined. The most important scientific target is the cloud-precipitation processes study, which is one of the uncovered topics in GPM mission. To fulfill this requirement and potential users requirements, cloud and precipitation observation capability is required for this mission. Considering the technology evolution, cloud radar (with current technology) or high sensitivity precipitation radar can achieve the requirements. Preliminary feasibility study (accommodativeness to spacecraft) was done with the help from JAXA’s space application program system engineering office.