Launched on 17 March 2009, ESA's Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) was developed to bring about a whole new level of understanding of one of Earth's most fundamental forces of nature – the gravity field.
30 September 2009 Following the launch and in-orbit testing of the most sophisticated gravity mission ever built, ESA’s GOCE satellite is now in ‘measurement mode’, mapping tiny variations in Earth’s gravity in unprecedented detail.
15 June 2009 Earth observation satellites in low orbit are continually buffeted by the wisps of atmosphere that remain. Predicting how much air drag a satellite can encounter is critical to the design, cost and operation of a mission - an ESA study shows how.
