NASA is preparing to launch its next rocket this week, which is equipped with a hi-tech satellite that will monitor global rainfall and help forecasters find big storms.
The H-IIA rocket will launch from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan on Feb. 27 at 1:37 p.m., with the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) core observatory aboard, according to Phys.org.
The satellite was jointly developed by Japan and the United States.
Scientists confirmed this week that the satellite was designed with the intention of collecting data and combining it with information from a number of other satellites in orbit to create a detailed picture of precipitation around Earth.
Weather forecasters believe that a more detailed and comprehensive map of rain will provide them a better chance of predicting extreme events like floods or even typhoons.
Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, who is currently aboard the International Space Station along with NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio and Russia's Mikhail Tyurin, wished GPM luck on his Twitter account.
The launch of GPM core observatory from Tanegashima has been set at 3:07 am on Feb.28(JST). Go GPM! https://t.co/wEx5CrGgEt
— Koichi Wakata (@Astro_Wakata) February 26, 2014
GPM is able to survey Earth's weather from 65 degrees north to 65 degrees south latitude, according to NASA.
"About 200 people working on GPM came to Tanegashima at one point or another," said Kelly Catlett, the GPM project's support team lead, according to Phys.org.
GPM has a mass of 8,598 lbs., and wingspan across the solar panels is approximately 39 feet (12 meters).
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