GOCE mission overview
GOCE in orbit
GOCE is dedicated to measuring Earth's gravity field and modelling the geoid with unprecedented accuracy and spatial resolution. Data from this advanced gravity mission will improve our knowledge of ocean circulation, which plays a crucial role in energy exchanges around the globe, sea-level change and Earth-interior processes. GOCE will also help to make significant advances in geodesy and surveying.
Mission details
Launched: 17 March 2009
Duration: about 20 months, including a 3-month commissioning and calibration phase, followed by science measurement phases adapted to a long-eclipse hibernation period.
Mission objectives
- to determine gravity-field anomalies with an accuracy of 1 mGal (where 1mGal = 10–5 ms–2).
- to determine the geoid with an accuracy of 1-2 cm.
- to achieve the above at a spatial resolution better than 100 km.
Mission orbit
Orbit: Sun-synchronous, near-circular, dusk-dawn, low-Earth.
Inclination: 96.7°
Measurement altitude: about 250 km
Hibernation altitude: above 270 km
Configuration
GOCE is a slim, octagonal spacecraft approximately 5 m long and 1 m in diameter. It is a rigid structure with no moving parts weighing about 1050 kg.
Payload
- gradiometer; 3 pairs of 3-axis, servo-controlled, capacitive accelerometers (each pair separated by a distance of about 0.5 m).
- 12-channel dual-frequency GPS receiver with geodetic quality.
- laser retroreflector enables tracking by ground-based lasers.
Launch vehicle
Rockot (converted SS-19), from Plesetsk, Russia.
Flight operations
Monitored and controlled by ESA-ESOC via the Kiruna ground station in Sweden and secondary ground station in Svalbard, Norway.
Data processing
- level-1b products generated by the Payload Data Ground Segment (PDGS) at ESA-ESRIN.
- level-2 products (including gravity-field models and precise GOCE orbits) generated by the High-level Processing Facility (HPF) - a European consortium of ten scientific institutes.
The Industrial Core Team comprises:
Thales Alenia Space (Italy) - satellite prime contractor
EADS Astrium GmbH (Germany) - platform contractor
Thales Alenia Space (France) - gradiometer
ONERA (France) accelerometer & system support
The Core Team leads a consortium of 41 companies distributed over 13 European countries.
Last update: 18 March 2009 | 
