# GPM Core Observatory
*missions*

## Specifications
- **operator**: nasa
- **actual launch**: 2014-02-27
- **current status**: extended
- **orbit type**: Circular non-sun-synchronous low Earth orbit; 65 deg inclination; raised to about 442 km in November 2023
- **swath km**: 904
- **tasking supported**: false
- **launch vehicle**: jaxa-h-iia
- **entity type**: mission
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-14
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: agency-sourced
- **provider**: nasa
- **attributes**: {"operator":"nasa","actual_launch":"2014-02-27","current_status":"extended","orbit_type":"Circular non-sun-synchronous low Earth orbit; 65 deg inclination; raised to about 442 km in November 2023","swath_km":904,"tasking_supported":false,"launch_vehicle":"jaxa-h-iia"}
- **relevance**: in-scope

## Editorial
The GPM Core Observatory is the reference satellite for the international Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) constellation, operated jointly by NASA and JAXA and launched on 27 February 2014 from Tanegashima Space Center.[^nasa-gpm-core] It occupies a non-sun-synchronous low Earth orbit at 65-degree inclination, providing coverage of precipitation across the tropics and mid-latitudes; in November 2023 the orbit was raised to approximately 442 km to extend the satellite's operational life into the 2030s.[^wmo-gpm-core] The two primary instruments are the GPM Microwave Imager (GMI), a conical-scan radiometer operating across 13 channels from 10 to 183 GHz with a swath of 885 km[^nasa-gpm-gmi] to 904 km[^nasa-gpm-core][^wmo-gpm-core], and the Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR), a Ku- and Ka-band active instrument that profiles precipitation structure in three dimensions.[^nasa-gpm-dpr] Together GMI and DPR enable instantaneous retrieval of precipitation rate, drop size distribution, and snow and ice classification, underpinning the IMERG global merged precipitation product that incorporates data from the broader GPM constellation.[^nasa-gpm-core]

## Compositional position
- GPM Core Observatory --[mission_payloads]--> gmi (products)
- GPM Core Observatory --[related-topic]--> precipitation (topics)

## Sources
- [nasa-gpm-core] | GPM Core Observatory, NASA GPM | https://gpm.nasa.gov/missions/GPM/core-observatory | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14
- [nasa-gpm-gmi] | GPM Microwave Imager (GMI), NASA GPM | https://gpm.nasa.gov/missions/GPM/GMI | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14
- [nasa-gpm-dpr] | Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR), NASA GPM | https://gpm.nasa.gov/missions/GPM/DPR | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14
- [wmo-gpm-core] | WMO OSCAR GPM Core Observatory satellite record | https://space.oscar.wmo.int/satellites/view/gpm_core_observatory | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/missions/gpm-core-observatory
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)