GRIP AIRBORNE SECOND GENERATION PRECIPITATION RADAR (APR-2) V1

It has a downward looking antenna that performs cross track scans. Additional features include: simultaneous dual-frequency, matched beam operation at 13.4 and 35.6 GHz (same as GPM Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar), simultaneous measurement of both like- and cross-polarized signals at both frequencies, Doppler operation, and real-time pulse compression (calibrated reflectivity data can be produced for large areas in the field during flight, if necessary).

The APR-2 flew on the NASA DC-8 for the Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) experiment and collected data between Aug 17, 2010 - Sep 22, 2010 and are in HDF-4 format. The major goal was to better understand how tropical storms form and develop into major hurricanes. NASA used the DC-8 aircraft, the WB-57 aircraft and the Global Hawk Unmanned Airborne System (UAS), configured with a suite of in situ and remote sensing instruments that were used to observe and characterize the lifecycle of hurricanes.