The Global Precipitation Measurement Core Observatory Launches

NASA and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) today launched the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory today from the Tanegashima Space Center in Tanegashima, Japan.The GPM is a four-ton collection of instruments to measure rain and snow fall from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle every three hours, providing real-time data on the planet's water cycle. A great part of the mission is that it will provide data on precipitation and storms in remote areas of the planet. Much of the climate and weather involves, or is the result of, how nature manages water, so the data from this mission will be extremely important for research.