Urgent TRMM re-entry issue

1

• Urgent TRMM re-entry issue
• For the safety, NASA would like to have
  controlled re-entry of TRMM
• Options Maneuver term. Re-entry
• A Nov. 2003 As soon as ready
• B Mar. 2004 Nov. 2003-Nov.
  2004
• more 4-7 months
• C Mar. 2005 US FY07-FY09
• more 1.3-3 years
• D more 7-8 years

2

• Proposed recommendation from the 8th GISP meeting
• After the launch of TRMM in Nov. 1997, remarkable
  results emerged from unique TRMM data
• Accurate precipitation distribution over tropics
  and sub-tropics form diurnal scale to a few year
  scale
• Three dimensional structure of rain
• Vertical structure of precipitation system
• Remarkable improvement of precipitation system
  measurement from space.
• TRMM has a unique sensor package radar,
  microwave radiometer and visible/infrared
  radiometer, and has no alternatives.
• After the accumulation of TRMM, it is now able to
  study the inter-annual variation of precipitation
  distributions.
• Now and in the very near future, more satellites
  will be in orbit (e.g. CloudSat).

3

• From the science point of view, we strongly urge
  to keep the TRMM observation as long as possible.
• We understand the re-entry has the safety
  problem.
• We would like to strongly recommend the Option 3.
• Letters to Dr. Asrara, NASA and Dr. Furuhama,
  JAXA

4
TRMM Rain Total