BackForward Satellite: TRMM 

Satellite details
Acronym TRMM
Full name Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission
Satellite Description
  • Single flight unit of the TRMM programme.
  • Main mission: measurement of precipitation.
  • Substantial contribution to atmospheric radiation.
Mass at launch 3620 kg Dry mass 2730 kg
Power 850 W
Data access link http://pps.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Data access information
  • Off-line data distributed by the NASA/GSFC Precipitation Processing System (PPS)
Orbit Drifting orbit Altitude 402 km
Inclination 35 °

 

Space agency NASA , JAXA
Status Inactive
Details on Status
(as available)
  • CERES failed 9 months after launch.
  • In August 2001 the orbit was moved from the original 350 km to 402 km to extend lifetime and instrument swath.
  • VIRS functional but turned off to preserve battery.  Some intermittent operations progressively extended to the other sensors.
  • PR finally switched off on 1st April, and all other sensors on 8 April, 2015.
Launch 27 Nov 1997 EOL 08 Apr 2015
Last update: 2019-10-30
Associated satellite programme and related satellites

Note: red tag: no longer operational , green tag: operational , blue tag : future

Satellite Payload

All known Instruments flying on TRMM

Acronym Full name
CERES Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System
LIS Lightning Imaging Sensor
PR Precipitation Radar
TMI TRMM Microwave Imager
VIRS Visible and Infra Red Scanner
Show instrument status and calibration
Telecommunication frequency or microwave sensing channel information Show expert details
Service Dir or Mode Frequency Emission designator Bandwidth Polarisation D/A Data rate or Baseband Comments
TMI passive 10650 MHz 100000  kHz H&V A   Window channel
TMI passive 19350 MHz 500000  kHz H&V A   Window channel
TMI passive 21300 MHz 200000  kHz V A   Water vapour channel
TMI passive 37000 MHz 2000000  kHz H&V A   Window channel
TMI passive 85500 MHz 3000000  kHz H&V A   Window channel
PR active 13500 - 13500 MHz N/R  kHz - A   Ku-band precipitation radar