Brazil is participating in the GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement Mission), an international Project led by NASA and JAXA, in two components: the ground validation and in the satellite constellation. Brazil is working in cooperation with CNES and NASA to have a passive microwave radiometer on board the Brazilian multi-mission platform in equatorial orbit in 2014. The ground validation component intends to validate the precipitation estimation from the GPM constellation and to develop new algorithms for improving the performance and precision of the remotely sensed precipitation estimation.

This project intends to expand the knowledge of cloud processes to reduce uncertainty in precipitation estimation, mainly from warm clouds and, consequently, improving the knowledge of the water and energy budget and cloud microphysics.

The Global Precipitation Measurement - GPM program is to understand the physical/meteorological processes involved in precipitation in addition to providing precipitation estimates with high spatial (about 25 km) and temporal (about 3 hours) resolution over the entire Earth. This is an unprecedented resolution, covering oceanic areas and places with difficult access where precipitation is not measured routinely.

The benefits of this type of information are not yet known to their full extent, but they will contribute valuably to items ranging from short-term weather forecast (nowcasting) and long-term forecasts to assessments of climate change.

The basic proposal of the program requires a main satellite (with a payload similar to TRMM) equipped with a weather radar and a microwave radiometer and a constellation of seven satellites. In this context, there is a possibility of a Brazilian satellite in the constellation. Studies to deliver the payload and the space station are underway, including international cooperation (CNES and NASA).

Coordinated by the Brazilian Space Agency - AEB and the technical specification and construction of the platform (MMP) and payload execucted by the National Institute for Space Research INPE are the two institutes in charge of the program. There exists technical cooperation between several Brazilian institutions interested in information on precipitation among which we must highlight: Censipam, ANA, FUNCEME, EMBRAPA, SIMEPAR, INPE, INMET, USP and IPMet.