Information and reference manuals for data users are archived, including operation information of satellite and sensors, data and product information, PR algorithm instruction manuals, data handling manuals, etc.
NASA/GSFC provides a plot of TRMM PR, TMI, and VIRS instrument swath widths verses TRMM Satellite geodetic altitude. With the August 2001 orbit raising the average instrument swath sizes increased by about 15 percent.
Raising TRMM's orbit was delayed to avoid a collision with debris and also because TRMM went into Sun Acquisition Mode at an altitude of 383km. All processes for raising TRMM's orbit were completed. ……
TRMM completed its nominal three year mission in January 2001, and is continuing to operate. Based NASA's latest mission analysis,
TRMM lifetime will be 1.5 years shorter than the previous estimate. NASDA and NASA decided to raise the satellite altitude to 400 km in order to extend its lifetime. ……
October 22, 2002 The VIRS instrument has completed Outgassing and has returned to Mission operations mode on October 17, 2002. We expect to start receiving valid 1B01 granules starting approximately with TSDIS orbit number 28063.
