ESA - GOCE - Satellite

GOCE at a glance

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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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Satellite

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GOCE 3D model

Credits: ESA

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GOCE (Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer). In orbit, the same side of the satellite remains facing the Sun. The spacecraft is equipped with four body-mounted and two wing-mounted solar panels. Due to the configuration in orbit, the solar panels will experience extreme temperature variations so it has been necessary to use materials that will tolerate temperatures as high as 160ºC and as low as -170ºC.

Credits: ESA - AOES Medialab

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Solar panel inspection during final testing of GOCE satellite at ESA-ESTEC. The spacecraft is equipped with four body-mounted and two wing-mounted solar panels. In orbit, the same side of the satellite remains facing the Sun. Due to this configuration, the solar panels will experience extreme temperature variations, so materials have been used that will tolerate temperatures as high as 160ºC and as low as -170ºC.

Credits: ESA

In depth

Satellite