Joint US–Japan weather satellite launches

Universe Today : Earlier this morning the Global Precipitation Measurement Core Observatory launched from Japan. Jointly developed by the US and Japanese space agencies NASA and JAXA, the weather research satellite will orbit Earth at an altitude similar to that of the International Space Station and monitor global rain and snowfall. It will be one of nine highly advanced weather satellites orbiting Earth. With the new satellite, researchers around the world will be better able to study climate change, manage water resources, and track severe weather events like hurricanes, floods, and droughts.