TREATIES AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ACTS SERIES 12-326.1 

________________________________________________________________________ 

SPACE COOPERATION 

Global Precipitation Measurement 

and Megha-Tropiques 

 Implementing Arrangement Between the 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

and INDIA 

Signed at Ahmedabad and Washington 

March 20 and 26, 2012 
 NOTE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

 Pursuant to Public Law 89—497, approved July 8, 1966 

(80 Stat. 271; 1 U.S.C. 113)—

“. . .the Treaties and Other International Acts Series issued 

under the authority of the Secretary of State shall be competent 

 evidence . . . of the treaties, international agreements other than 

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international agreements other than treaties, as the case may be, 

therein contained, in all the courts of law and equity and of maritime 

jurisdiction, and in all the tribunals and public offices of the 

United States, and of the several States, without any further proof 

or authentication thereof.” 
 INDIA 

Space Cooperation: Global Precipitation Measurement 

 and Megha-Tropiques 

 Implementing Arrangement signed at 

 Ahmedabad and Washington 

 March 20 and 26, 2012; 

 Entered into force March 26, 2012. 
IMPLEMENTING ARRANGEMENT 

BETWEEN 

THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA) 

OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

AND 

THE INDIAN SPACE RESEARCH ORGANISATION (ISRO) 

OF INDIA 

FOR COOPERATION ON 

GLOBAL PRECIPITATION MEASUREMENT AND MEGHA-TROPIQUES 

PREAMBLE 

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States of America 

(hereinafter referred to as "NASA") and the Indian Space Research Organisation (hereinafter 

referred to as "ISRO"), (and together hereinafter referred to as the "Parties"): 

Acknowledging that in 2004, ISRO and the Centre National d' Etudes Spatiales of France 

(CNES) signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation on the Megha-Tropiques 

mission; 

Desiring to engage in scientific and ground validation data exchanges and related activities 

associated with NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission and the ISROCNES Megha-Tropiques mission; 

Recalling the terms of the Framework Agreement between the National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration and Indian Space Research Organisation for Cooperative Activities in 

the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes, signed on February 1,2008 

(hereinafter referred to as the "Framework Agreement"); 

Acknowledging that NASA and CNES intend to negotiate a separate agreement to address 

cooperation involving GPM and Megha-Tropiques cooperation; and 

Acknowledging that in 2009, NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) 

signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation on GPM; 

Have reached the following arrangement: 

ARTICLE 1 

PURPOSE OF COOPERATION 

The purpose of this Implementing Arrangement is to set forth the respective responsibilities of 

the Parties and the terms and conditions under which they shall conduct the cooperation 

involving GPM and Megha-Tropiques. 

GPM was designed from its inception as an international satellite mission to unify and 

advance global precipitation measurements to serve the world community by providing the 

best possible global precipitation data for research and applications. The GPM concept is 

based on using combined radar/radiometer measurements on a Core Observatory as the 

reference standard to inter-calibrate observations from a diverse set of international 

instruments comprising a GPM constellation. 

ISRO and CNES are implementing the Megha-Tropiques mission, which will be launched 

prior to 2013 and will very likely overlap with the GPM operational mission phase. The 

Megha-Tropiques mission will carry, among other instruments, a conical-scanning microwave 

radiometer (MADRAS) and a multi-channel microwave humidity sounder (SAPHIR). A 
GPM partnership between NASA. and ISRO/CNES will benefit these agencies in terms of 

data sharing, scientific collaborations on satellite inter-calibration, precipitation retrieval 

algorithm development, and ground validation. NASA data and scientific expertise could be 

valuable to ISRO during its implementation ofMegha-Tropiques, especially as it pertains to 

the radiometer data. MADRAS and SAPHIR data would be valuable to NASA in improved 

sampling for GPM multi-satellite global precipitation products. 

Through a NASA-JAXA launch partnership, in 20 I 3 a GPM Core Observatory will be 

launched that carries both a conically-scanning radiometer, the GPM Microwave Imager 

(GMI), and a dual-frequency precipitation radar at 65° inclination to serve as a precipitation 

physics observatory and a calibration reference for all passive microwave radiometers 

provided by partners in the GPM mission. 

ARTICLE 2 

DEFINITIONS 

I. The "GPM mission" comprises all space and ground segment contributions provided by 

GPM partners, including the Core Observatory provided by NASA and JAXA, MeghaTropiques data provided by ISRO and CNES, and Global Change Observatjon Mission-Water 

1 (GCOM-Wl) data provided by JAXA. 

2. A "GPM partner" is a country or agency with a space segment (i.e., Core Observatory or 

constellation satellite) contribution to the international GPM effort and jointly recognized by 

NASA and JAXA. As the result of this Implementing Arrangement and the NASA-CNES 

Implementing Amingement referenced in the Preamble of this Implementing Arrangement, 

ISRO and CNES shall each, individually, be a GPM partner. 

3. "GPM data" consist of all standard data products: Level 1 C intercalibrated radiometer 

data, Level 2 dual-frequency precipitation radar reflectivities, and all other Level 2 and higher 

GPM standard data products, as defined by the NASA-JAXA Joint Precipitation 

Measurement Missions (PMM) Science Team (see Article 6, Scientific Investigations). 

4. "All instrument Level I data" are the Level I data from the GPM Core Observatory, 

GCOM-Wl, and all other GPM partners' microwave sensors. 

5. A "GPM participant" is a cooperating entity of a GPM partner in the framework ofGPMrelated activities and is designated as such by the aforesaid GPM partner. 

ARTICLE 3 

NASA RESPONSIBILITIES 

To implement this cooperative program, NASA shall use reasonable efforts to carry out the 

following responsibilities: 

I. Mission Data 

2 : ~1 ,( '. ~ 
a. Provide access to all Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) data, both nearreal-time and research quality, via ftp server. 

b. Provide access to all Level lB radiometer data and dual-frequency precipitation radar 

data from the GPM mission in both near-real-time and as research products in 

accordance with GPM partner data policies. This includes data from all GPM partner 

radiometers should [SRO wish to retrieve those from NASA. 

c. Provide access to all real-time and research products produced and/or distributed by 

NASA's Precipitation Processing System (PPS). These include all GPM standard data 

products: Levell C inter-calibrated radiometer data, Level 2 dual-frequency 

precipitation radar reflectivities, and all other Level 2 and higher GPM standard data 

products. They also include non-standard data products generated by NASA. 

d. Provide all PPS data through file server access to allow ISRO access to all data as it is 

produced. 

e. Provide access to a theoretical basis of algorithm document for the GPM products 

(including brightness temperature products and precipitation products) that discusses 

the calibration approach, geolocation, and key aspects of the conversion from 

instrument counts to brightness temperature. 

2. Ground Validation (GV) Data 

a. Provide access to all GPM data over Megha-Tropiques GV sites identified by ISRO. 

b. Provide access to GV data collected by NASA and other GPM partners, subject to 

GPM partners' policies. 

c. Accept fSRO participation in the GPM global GV effort, which seeks to establish 

error characteristics for radiometer and radar data products, validate GPM data on a 

global basis, and help to improve space-based precipitation algorithms. 

3. Data Processing 

a. Provide a logical structure for radiometer data formatting which can be used in 

representing MADRAS and SAPHfR data. 

b. Provide inter-calibrated Level IC brightness temperatures from GPM partner 

radiometers and read/write tools that can be used to read or write any data from Level 

1 C and higher level data products. 

c. Provide data browser tools for GPM data. 

d. Provide HDF 5.0 formatting assistance for radiometer data. 
e. Provide GIS formatted GPM data. 

f. Provide access to tools that help in the understanding and interpretation of GPM data. 

g. Provide assistance in understanding, interpreting and using GPM data, on a best 

efforts basis. 

4. Science Cooperation 

a. Accept Indian investigators to the PMM Program to become members of the NASA 

PMM Science Team, which comprises both U.S. and international investigators, 

through selection of no-cost contributions to NASA proposals. 

ARTICLE 4 

ISRO RESPONSIBILITIES 

To implement this cooperative program, rSRO shall use reasonable efforts to carry out the 

following responsibilities: 

I. Mission Data 

a. Provide access to calibrated and geolocated Level I B brightness temperature products 

from MADRAS and SAPHIR. 

b. Provide a theoretical basis of algorithm document for the MADRAS and SAPHIR 

brightness temperature products that discusses the calibration approach, geolocation, 

and key aspects of the conversion from instrument counts to brightness temperature. 

c. Provide access to MADRAS and SAPHIR Level I B data as quickly as possible from 

the time of observation, preferably within 24 hours, for the production of standard 

research quality merged global radiometer products. 

d. Provide access to MADRAS and SAPHIR Level IB data, at a minimum on an orbital 

basis and with as small a transmission latency as possible, for near-real-time merged 

radiometer products. 

2. Ground Validation Data 

a. Provide access to data from ground radars and associated instrumentation (e.g., rain 

gauges, wind profilers, disdrometers) jointly identified by NASA and ISRO, which 

will be collected for Megha-Tropiques data validation and is useful for GPM satellite 

product evaluation and algorithm improvement. 
3. Data Processing 

a. Provide access to ISRO rain-rate data products based on MADRAS and SAPHIR. 

b. Provide access to tools that help in understanding and interpretation of MADRAS and 

SAPHIR data. 

c. Provide assistance in understanding, interpreting, and using MADRAS and SAPHIR 

data, on a best-effort basis. 

4. Science Cooperation 

a. Encourage participation of Indian investigators in GPM science activities conducted 

by the NASA Precipitation Measurement Missions (PMM) Science Team (as 

described in Article 6, Scientific Investigations) in satellite inter-calibration, retrieval 

algorithm development, ground validation, scientific research, and practical 

applications. 

b. Encourage submission of no-cost proposals from Indian investigators to the PMM 

Program to become members ofthe NASA PMM Science Team, which comprises 

both U.S. and international investigators. 

c. Accept NASA-affiliated investigators to participate in the Megha-Tropiques 

fnternational Science Team (as described in Article 6, Scientific Investigations) 

through selection by ISRO and CNES of no-cost proposals to ISRO/CNES MeghaTropiques Announcements of Opportunity (A Os). 

ARTICLES 

GPM GOVERNANCE 

I. rSRO shall participate in GPM mission governance through a coordinating group 

composed of NASA, JAXA, and other GPM partners. NASA and JAXA co-chair the group 

and have approved ISRO membership. The coordinating group's purpose is to provide 

programmatic and technical coordination among the GPM partners and to assist in 

establishing and enhancing GPM's global goals. 

2. NASA and JAXA maintain a list of approved GPM partners and GPM participants. 

Notification of new GPM partners and GPM participants shall be made through the 

coordinating group. All decisions of the coordinating group are made by consensus of its 

members. The approved GPM participants have access to the same data, products, and 

services as the GPM partners. 

5' ;", :.: _ 
ARTICLE 6 

SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS 

1. To meet the science goals of the GPM program, NASA shall establish a NASA-selected 

PMM Science Team. NASA shall have its PMM Science Team act as an advisory body to 

NASA Program/Project Management for the definition and maintenance of science 

requirements for GPM, including the GPM algorithm development, GPM science data 

systems, and all NASA and standard data products for the GPM mission. 

2. The NASA PMM Science Team is responsible for advising NASA Program/Project 

Management on the U.S. scientific requirements for GPM and the science requirements for 

the NASA science data system, and for the algorithm development and validation of the GPM 

standard products subject to the approval of the NASA-JAXA Joint PMM Science Team. 

(Note: The NASA-JAXA Joint PMM Science Team comprises six to seven scientists from 

each of the NASA and JAXA PMM Science Teams, selected by the respective Program 

Scientists.) The NASA PMM Science Team is also responsible for monitoring the 

development of the GMI and reporting issues that affect science to the NASA-JAXA Joint 

PMM Science Team. The NASA PMM Science Team collects and analyzes ground-based 

measurements in the U.S. and elsewhere in collaboration with international GPM ground 

validation partners to evaluate GPM satellite data products. The NASA PMM Science Team 

consults with the jAXA PMM Science Team regarding any changes in the measurement 

requirements for GPM. The NASA PMM Science Team responds, within an appropriate 

time, to requests for consultation from the JAXA PMM Science Team. 

3. To enhance the scientific analysis and the science benefits of the Megha-Tropiques 

program, ISRO shall establish with CNES an ISRO/CNES-selected Megha-Tropiques 

International Science Team. For that, the initial ISRO/CNES Megha-Tropiques Joint Science 

Working Group will be complemented by International Principal Investigators selected by 

ISRO/CNES after no-cost proposals to the ISRO/CNES Megha-Tropiques Announcements of 

Opportunity (AOs). The role of the Megha-Tropiques International Science Team is to advise 

the ISRO/CNES program/project management and to contribute to: 

a. The development of Megha-Tropiques retrieval algorithms and calibration/validation 

experiments; 

b. The basic research on the physics of the tropical climate; 

c. Synergistic studies using multisensorlmultisatellite data to understand convective 

processes; and 

d. The development of techniques for assimilation of Megha-Tropiques radiances or 

derived geophysical parameters in numerical models. 

6, i', ',: <:: 
ARTICLE 7 

POINTS OF CONTACT 

The NASA-designated point of contact is: 

The programmatic designated point of contact is: 

Steven Neeck 

Science Mission Directorate 

NASA Headquarters 

300 E Street, SW - Mail Suite 3874 

Washington, D.C. 20546 USA 

E-mail: steven.neeck(@,nasa.gov 

Telephone: + 1-202-358-0830 

Facsimile: + 1-202-358-2770 

The ISRO-designated point of contact is: 

The programmatic designated point of contact is: 

Scientific Secretary, ISRO 

Indian Space Research Organisation HQ 

Antariksh Bhavan, 

New BEL Road 

Bangalore 560 094 

E-mail: scientificsecretary@isro.gov.in 

Telephone: +91-80-23416356 

Facsimile: +91-80-23415298 

ARTICLES 

DATA DISTRIBUTION 

1. The Parties will encourage each GPM partner to make instrument Level I data available to 

al1 of the GPM partners consistent with their respective data distribution policies. 

a. All instrument Level I data shall be made available as soon as the initial on-orbit 

calibration and validation are completed. 

b. No additional latency aside from download, processing, and network access shall be 

added to the time at which GPM partners can use all instrument Level I data. 

c. GPM data and all instrument Level I data shall be available to users for research, 

operational, applications, and outreach purposes, consistent with the Parties' data 

distribution policies. For purposes other than these, the specified data shall be made 

available in accordance with terms and conditions to be established by the Party that 

provides the instrument and data. 
d. NASA agrees to the right of ISRO to redistribute GMI Level IS radiometer data and 

GPM data to other GPM partners and participants. In addition, ISRO may redistribute 

other GPM partners' instrument Level I data in accordance with the aforesaid partners' 

data policies. ISRO agrees to the right of NASA to redistribute Level I B brightness 

temperature products from MADRAS and SAPHIR to other GPM partners and 

participants. 

2. The analyzed results from GPM data shall be made available to the general scientific 

community through publication in appropriate journals or presentations at scientific 

conferences as soon as possible and consistent with standard scientific practices. Such 

publications shall credit the NASA-JAX.A. GPM project and the approved GPM partners. [n 

the event that reports or publications are copyrighted, all approved GPM partners shall be 

granted a royalty-free right under the copyright to reproduce, use, and distribute such 

copyrighted work for their purposes by the copyright holder. 

ARTICLE 9 

OWNERSHIP OF EQUIPMENT 

Equipment provided by NASA pursuant to this Implementing Arrangement shall remain the 

property of NASA. Equipment provided by ISRO pursuant to this [mplementing 

Arrangement shall remain the property of ISRO. Each Implementing Agency agrees to return 

the other Implementing Agency's equipment in its possession at the conclusion of the project. 

ARTICLE 10 

RELATIONSHIP TO THE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT 

This Implementing Arrangement, concIudedpursuant to Article 4 of the Framework 

Agreement, incorporates by reference and is subject to the terms and conditions of the 

Framework Agreement. In the event of a conflict between the provisions of this 

implementing Arrangement and the Framework Agreement, the terms of the Framework 

Agreement shall govern. 

ARTICLE 11 

AMENDMENTS 

This Implementing Arrangement may be amended through mutual written agreement by the 

Parties. 

8 ' 
ARTICLE 12 

ENTRY INTO FORCE AND DURATION 

This Implementing Arrangement shall enter into force upon the last date of signature and shall 

remain in force until December 31, 2016, unless terminated by one Party providing at least 

ninety (90) days' advance written notice to the other Party of its intent to terminate. 

DONE in two originals at .1illME,MA:D ) __ , on the ':)Q'ttI J 2£t) day of March, 2012, in the 

English language. tJ~~\~J~'\ Oc. I 

FOR THE NATIONAL AERONAUTlCS FOR THE INDIAN SPACE 

AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION: RESEARCH ORGANfSATION: 

R. ~~u:: 'f/:l~ Director \ , 

Space Applications Cerllre 

9 i I' .r c: .~