Abstract
National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) successfully launched the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) observatory at 06:27 (JST) on Nov. 28, 1997. The TRMM satellite carries the first spaceborne Precipitation Radar (PR) which was developed by NASDA and Communications Research Laboratory. The PR can measure the horizontal and vertical structure of rain day and night, and over ocean and land. This capability allows scientists for the first time ever to grasp the three-dimensional structure of rain in the tropics and sub-tropics around the globe. In addition to the PR, the satellite carries four more sensors which were developed by National Astronautics and Space Administration (NASA): the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI), the Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS), and the Cloud and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES), the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS). Preliminary results and images from these sensors are shown in this paper.
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Kazuhiro Hiroshima: He received his Master degree in electrical engineering in 1983 from Waseda University. After that he worked in Space Development Division of Toshiba Corporation. He worked as a researcher and engineer in space data processing and image processing region. Now he is in NASDA (National Space Development Agency of Japan) and in charge of TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) Program Coordinator.
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Hiroshima, K. Rainfall observation from Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite. J Vis 2, 93–98 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03182555
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03182555