ESA - GOCE - Building ESA's gravity mapping mission posed hi-tech challenge

GOCE at a glance

The first of a series Looking into the forces that shape our planet A technological achievement An intimate portrait of Earth Facts and figures

About the spacecraft

Satellite Payload

About the launch

Launch overview Launcher After launch GOCE data

Meet the team

Danilo Muzi, Project Manager Rune Floberghagen, Mission Manager Reiner Rummel, Chairman Mission Advisory Group Mark Drinkwater, Mission Scientist Roger Haagmans, Mission Scientist Andrea Allasio, Thales Alenia Space Project Manager Michael Fehringer, System Manager Paolo Laberinti, Head of Verification and Testing Miguel Aguirre, Technical Officer for Definition Phase Daniel Lamarre, Gradiometer Engineer Juan Piñeiro, Spacecraft Operations Manager Stefano Capitanio, Launch Campaign Manager Pascal Gilles, Head of Earth Explorer Payload Data Ground Segment

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Building ESA's gravity mapping mission posed hi-tech challenge

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The GOCE (Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer) satellite consists of a central octagonal tube with seven internal floors that support the equipment and electronic units. Two of the floors support the gradiometer which is mounted close to the satellite’s centre of mass. The spacecraft structure is built largely of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic sandwich panels to guarantee stable conditions under greatly varying temperatures and to minimise its mass. The gradiometer structure is based on ultra-stable carbon-carbon technology.

Credits: ESA - AOES Medialab

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The GOCE gradiometer contains three pairs of proof masses positioned at the outer ends of three 50 cm long orthogonal arms. Because of their different position in the gravitational field they all experience the gravitational acceleration of Earth slightly differently. The three axes of the gradiometer allow the simultaneous measurement of six independent but complementary components of the gravity field.

Credits: ESA – AOES Medialab

Last update: 16 April 2009

More Information

Flying a suite of technologies A unique technical achievement Technology potential for the future GOCE launch

GOCE technical site