TRMM Satellite to Continue Through Spring

NASA officials said the agency will continue to operate the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite through the spring.

The satellite, also known as TRMM, has been conducting scientific research for the past seven years — four years beyond its original design lifetime. TRMM data has aided the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other users in understanding of rainfall and storm prediction and providing weather forecasts.

NASA’s announcement follows the release of an interim report by a National Academy of Sciences committee that strongly recommended continued operation of TRMM, at least until a decision on controlled reentry becomes unavoidable.

NASA and NOAA had asked the national academies last summer to convene a workshop to determine the best use of TRMM’s remaining spacecraft life. The committee also examined the overall risks and benefits of the mission extension options, including the unplanned re-entry of the satellite. NASA is planning to launch a new satellite to replace TRMM by the end of the decade.