GOCE

After more than four years in orbit, mapping the Earth’s gravity, ESA’s GOCE mission is coming to an end. Due to run out of fuel in mid-October, the sleek satellite will begin a natural descent towards the Earth. Most of the spacecraft will burn up in the atmosphere but its re-entry will be closely monitored from the ground. GOCE – or Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer – was the first of ESA’s Earth Explorer missions and has significantly improved our understanding of the Earth’s gravitational field.