CNES, NASA and JAXA are pleased to announce the 8th International Planning Workshop on Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) to be jointly hosted by CNES and CNRS on 16-18 June 2009 in Paris, France. GPM is an international satellite mission, initiated by NASA and JAXA, to unify and advance precipitation measurements from a constellation of research and operational satellites through satellite data sharing and scientific collaboration involving the world community. GPM centers on the deployment of a NASA-JAXA Core Observatory in 2013 carrying an advanced radar-radiometer system to serve as a “precipitation physics observatory” and as a “calibration reference” for all constellation radiometers. GPM is a science mission with integrated applications goals to provide uniform constellation-based global precipitation measurements to improve understanding of the Earth’s water/energy fluxes and extend current capabilities in weather/climate forecasting, natural hazard prediction, and freshwater resource management.

In anticipation of the upcoming launch of the CNES-ISRO Megha-Tropiques satellite, which will contribute two microwave radiometers (MADRAS and SAPHIR) to significantly upgrade the sampling by the GPM constellation in the Tropics, this workshop will provide a programmatic forum:

Consistent with these goals, the workshop will be organized around the following themes: