--Michael King, EOS Senior Project Scientist
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) spacecraft arrived safely at the Tanegashima Space Center (TnSC), Japan, on August 23. In addition to the Precipitation Radar (PR), TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI), and Visible and Infrared Scanner (VIRS), TRMM carries the first two sensors developed as part of the EOS program: CERES (Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System) and LIS (Lightning Imaging Sensor). TRMM is scheduled for launch in mid-November, and will fly in a mid-inclination (35°) precessing orbit at an altitude of 350 km.
The Office of Mission to Planet Earth has now finalized the selection of proposals arising from the NASA Research Announcement (NRA) for supplementary activities to support the validation of measurements by EOS satellite sensors in the AM-1 and SAGE III time frame, released March 13. This NRA also solicited proposals for investigations as part of NASA's Global Data Integration and Validation Program, an MTPE Research and Analysis Program.
NASA received 270 proposals in response to this announcement, 64 of which were accepted. Details of the selection can be found in Announcements--Winning Proposals from NASA Research Announcement NRA-97-MTPE-03 in this issue of The Earth Observer. The final selection results can be summarized in table below.
| EOS validation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean surface | 4 | Atmospheric chemistry | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Land surface | 11 | Atmosphere | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Surface radiation budget | 5 | Calibration and characterization | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Global Data Integration and Validation Program | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CERES relevant -- outgoing longwave radiation, Earth radiation budget | 4 | MODIS relevant -- polar products, aerosols from VIRS, SST, calibration over ice, impact of cloud information | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SAGE relevant -- analysis methods | 1 | PM-1 relevant -- land hydrology, water budget, snow melt, ice cover | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LIS relevant -- lightning and cloud properties | 1 | Miscellaneous -- Radarsat, GPS interferometic delay | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SeaWinds relevant | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
An Investigators Working Group (IWG) meeting is now scheduled for November 4-6 in Atlanta, Georgia. As in the past couple of years, the primary focus of this meeting is to (i) learn of recent progress and exciting accomplishments obtained thus far by various EOS investigations, with special sessions on seasonal-to-interannual climate, atmospheric chemistry, and land cover/land use change, (ii) assess progress and expectations for EOSDIS in the next couple of years, (iii) discuss objectives and status of Earth System Science Pathfinders (ESSP) that were recently selected for launch at the beginning of the next decade, and (iv) discuss integrated assessments on climate variability and change, as reflected in regional workshops recently conducted in 6 regions of the U.S. Finally, I am happy to report that MOPITT (Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere) was delivered to Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space, Kings of Prussia, Pennsylvania, on August 25 for integration on the EOS AM-1 spacecraft. This instrument joins ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection radiometer), CERES, MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer), and MISR (Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer), bringing together all five instruments that will fly on AM-1. The next critical step for the spacecraft is to complete systems tests that will validate the ability of the integrated spacecraft to withstand the harsh environment of space and to work with its ground system. The spacecraft will be delivered to Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA, for launch processing, and is scheduled for launch in June 1998.