GOCE Earth Explorer satellite to look at the Earth’s surface and core


GOCE positioned for alignment check
 
GOCE positioned on the rotary table for an alignment check during launch campaign at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome

Building a picture of the gravity field
 
GOCE will map the global variations in Earth's gravity with extreme detail and provide a unique model of the gravity field and geoid. The geoid is the surface of equal gravitational potential defined by the gravity field and is crucial for improving our understanding of ocean circulation, sea-level change and terrestrial ice dynamics, all of which are affected by climate change. GOCE-derived data will also provide new insight into processes occurring in the lithosphere and upper mantle. In addition, data will be used for practical applications such as surveying and levelling.

ESA mission controllers in simulation for GOCE launch
 
14 August 2008: Members of the "A" section of the Flight Control Team in simulation training for the scheduled 10 September launch of GOCE in the Main Control Room at ESOC, ESA's European Space Operations Centre, Darmstadt, Germany. The simulation included practicing immediate reactions in case of any unexpected problems with the ground segment or the spacecraft.



Release date: 4 February 2009