ESA - GOCE - Archive

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The mission

ESA's Earth Explorer GOCE mission was dedicated to map Earth's gravity with unrivalled precision and provided the most accurate model of the 'geoid' ever produced to further our understanding of how Earth works. After more than four years in orbit, the mission came to a natural end on 11 November 2013, but the wealth of data from GOCE continues to be exploited to improve our understanding of ocean circulation, sea level, ice dynamics, Earth’s interior and climate change.

The launch

Date: 17 March 2009
Site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia
Launcher: Rockot

1st in the Explorer series
1-2 cm geoid accuracy
260 km altitude

GOCE

Volcanic eruption Iceland

North Atlantic’s volcanic secrets – it’s about being thin

24/06/2025 2215 views 48 likes

10 remarkable Earth facts

18/04/2023 585647 views 2767 likes

Patterns of magnetic rocks and embayment under the ice in East Antarctica

Filling the GOCE data gap unearths South Pole’s geological …

09/03/2022 4712 views 105 likes

Hot and cold beneath Tonga volcano

Deep down temperature shifts give rise to eruptions

15/02/2022 8142 views 163 likes

GOCE helps create new model of crust and upper mantle

Gravity mission still unearthing hidden secrets

11/03/2021 11067 views 130 likes

Antarctica: below the surface

GOCE reveals what’s going on deep below Antarctica

09/12/2019 23156 views 95 likes

3D Earth in the making

15/05/2019 14586 views 115 likes

GOCE

Taking gravity from strength to strength

20/03/2019 8433 views 155 likes

Cloud-free Europe

New observations for the new economy

08/03/2019 10704 views 89 likes

ESA’s gravity-mapper reveals relics of ancient continents u…

07/11/2018 23458 views 246 likes

Earth’s squishy interior gives rapid rise to Antarctica

22/06/2018 8805 views 183 likes

Searching for underground energy sources from space

27/07/2015 13030 views 94 likes

Bouguer gravity anomaly

GOCE helps tap into sustainable energy resources

16/04/2015 14395 views 105 likes

Ocean currents from GOCE

Understanding the ‘OC’ in GOCE

25/11/2014 10954 views 75 likes

GOCE reveals gravity dip from ice loss

26/09/2014 29666 views 137 likes

GOCE

Lifetime of gravity measurements heralds new beginning

30/07/2014 13451 views 96 likes

What lies beneath?

09/01/2014 6000 views 58 likes

Gravity scar over Japan

Earth’s gravity scarred by earthquake

03/12/2013 28741 views 159 likes

GOCE

GOCE gives in to gravity

11/11/2013 42927 views 88 likes

Radar altimetry catches new wave with GOCE

28/10/2013 14625 views 52 likes

Counteracting drag

Orbiting on the edge yields insight into space weather

23/10/2013 4571 views 45 likes

GOCE in orbit

ESA’s GOCE mission to end this year

13/09/2013 11969 views 59 likes

Gravity lowdown

10/09/2013 6664 views 41 likes

SMOS tracks Hurricane Igor

ESA’s Earth satellites are stars

21/06/2013 6909 views 34 likes

GOCE: the first seismometer in orbit

08/03/2013 25864 views 88 likes

Sea level station

GOCE settles debate on sloping sea

15/02/2013 9217 views 51 likes

Improved spatial resolution

GOCE’s second mission improving gravity map

16/11/2012 7792 views 11 likes

Gravity satellite to benefit future missions

19/07/2012 4983 views 5 likes

Global Moho from GOCE

Mapping the Moho with GOCE

09/03/2012 14772 views 38 likes

Earth's gravity revealed in unprecedented detail

31/03/2011 102511 views 99 likes

GOCE results press briefing

31/03/2011 2746 views 15 likes

GOCE in orbit

Follow the GOCE results press briefing live

28/03/2011 1524 views 1 likes

GOCE delivers on its promise

04/03/2011 4844 views 5 likes

Mean dynamic topography of global ocean

ESA missions highlighted at world's largest scientific conf…

17/12/2010 2071 views 1 likes

Building a picture of the gravity field

ESA's gravity mission granted 18-month extension

25/11/2010 1870 views 3 likes

GOCE fully operational again

29/09/2010 1183 views 0 likes

GOCE in orbit

GOCE gravity mission back in action

07/09/2010 3224 views 3 likes

GOCE first global gravity model

GOCE giving new insights into Earth’s gravity

29/06/2010 18684 views 20 likes

Building a picture of the gravity field

ESA makes first GOCE dataset available

09/06/2010 3213 views 4 likes

Muzi (left) and Floberghagen at the ceremony

‘Keys’ to GOCE satellite handed over

25/11/2009 1640 views 0 likes

Gravity gradient simulations

GOCE delivering data for best gravity map ever

30/09/2009 6568 views 13 likes

GOCE in orbit

GOCE achieves drag-free perfection

26/05/2009 4332 views 2 likes

GOCE in orbit

Enabling & Support

ESA's low-flying gravity-detector was weighty technology ch…

16/04/2009 1195 views 1 likes

GOCE gradiometer

GOCE’s ‘heart’ starts beating

08/04/2009 1962 views 0 likes

Counteracting drag

GOCE's electric ion propulsion engine switched on

06/04/2009 7374 views 6 likes

Smiling faces: GOCE team from industry and ESA at end of LEOP

Enabling & Support

GOCE completes early orbit phase

20/03/2009 2104 views 0 likes

GOCE Flight Control Team in Main Control Room round-the-clock

Enabling & Support

GOCE: Critical operations ongoing

18/03/2009 1542 views 0 likes

GOCE liftoff

ESA launches Earth Explorer mission GOCE

17/03/2009 3870 views 2 likes

ESA's Juergen Schmid during GOCE launch rehearsal, 13 March

Launch readiness confirmed

17/03/2009 867 views 0 likes

GOCE liftoff

GOCE launch in pictures

17/03/2009 1283 views 1 likes

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