ESA - ESA Spacecraft Operations - GOCE operations

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GOCE operations

The mission

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ESA's GOCE mission will measure high-accuracy gravity gradients and provide global models of the Earth's gravity field and of the geoid. The geoid (the surface of equal gravitational potential of a hypothetical ocean at rest) serves as the classical reference for all topographical features. The accuracy of its determination is important for surveying and geodesy, and in studies of Earth interior processes, ocean circulation, ice motion and sea-level change.

Credits: AOES Medialab

The Flight Control Team

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GOCE Spacecraft Operations Manager Christoph Steiger

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GOCE Spacecraft Operations Manager Christoph Steiger is based at ESA/ESOC, Germany.

Credits: ESA/J. Mai http://www.juergenmai.com

Mission operations overview

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Liftoff of GOCE on 17 March 2009 at 15:21 CET.

Credits: ESA

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SMOS will be launched by a Rockot launch vehicle from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia.

Credits: AOES Medialab

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SMOS launched on a modified Russian Intercontinental Balistic Missile (ICBM) SS-19 launcher from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia.

Credits: ESA - AOES Medialab

The ground station
Kiruna

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The Kiruna S-band and X-band station primarily supports the European Remote Sensing satellites, ERS-1 and ERS-2. It is equipped for tracking, telemetry and command operations as well as for reception, recording, processing and dissemination of data from the sensor instruments on-board the two satellites.

Ground segment & mission control system

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This mission uses SCOS-2000, the European standard mission control system developed at ESOC.

Credits: ESA

The platform and payload

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Gradiometer instrument (excluding harness)

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The GOCE gradiometer consists of three pairs of identical ultra-sensitive accelerometers, mounted on three mutually orthogonal "arms" (see upper part of the image). It also contains other elements related to the gradiometer control and read-out electronics, to the structure and to the thermal control elements. The three arms are mounted orthogonal to one another: one aligned with the satellite’s trajectory, one pointing towards the centre of the Earth, and the third is perpendicular to the other two.

The principle of operation of each ultra-sensitive accelerometer relies on measuring the electric field required to maintain a ‘proof mass’ at the centre of a specially engineered ‘cage’. Servo-controlled electrostatic suspension provides control of the ‘proof mass’ in terms of linear and rotational motion. The difference between accelerations measured by each pair of accelerometers (which are 50 cm apart) is the basis for the gravity gradients.

Credits: ESA - AOES Medialab

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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

GOCE launch

More information

GOCE GOCE in-depth Images, animations

Ground stations

Kiruna station

Launch vehicle

Rockot Related video

Eurockot