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 2260 views 48 likes

10 remarkable Earth facts

18/04/2023 588014 views 2773 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 4731 views 105 likes

Hot and cold beneath Tonga volcano

Deep down temperature shifts give rise to eruptions

15/02/2022 8157 views 163 likes

GOCE helps create new model of crust and upper mantle

Gravity mission still unearthing hidden secrets

11/03/2021 11108 views 130 likes

Antarctica: below the surface

GOCE reveals what’s going on deep below Antarctica

09/12/2019 23194 views 95 likes

3D Earth in the making

15/05/2019 14604 views 115 likes

GOCE

Taking gravity from strength to strength

20/03/2019 8451 views 155 likes

Cloud-free Europe

New observations for the new economy

08/03/2019 10718 views 89 likes

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

07/11/2018 23482 views 246 likes

Earth’s squishy interior gives rapid rise to Antarctica

22/06/2018 8818 views 183 likes

Searching for underground energy sources from space

27/07/2015 13051 views 94 likes

Bouguer gravity anomaly

GOCE helps tap into sustainable energy resources

16/04/2015 14408 views 105 likes

Ocean currents from GOCE

Understanding the ‘OC’ in GOCE

25/11/2014 10965 views 75 likes

GOCE reveals gravity dip from ice loss

26/09/2014 29683 views 137 likes

GOCE

Lifetime of gravity measurements heralds new beginning

30/07/2014 13458 views 96 likes

What lies beneath?

09/01/2014 6007 views 58 likes

Gravity scar over Japan

Earth’s gravity scarred by earthquake

03/12/2013 28755 views 159 likes

GOCE

GOCE gives in to gravity

11/11/2013 42938 views 88 likes

Radar altimetry catches new wave with GOCE

28/10/2013 14640 views 52 likes

Counteracting drag

Orbiting on the edge yields insight into space weather

23/10/2013 4579 views 45 likes

GOCE in orbit

ESA’s GOCE mission to end this year

13/09/2013 11985 views 59 likes

Gravity lowdown

10/09/2013 6671 views 41 likes

SMOS tracks Hurricane Igor

ESA’s Earth satellites are stars

21/06/2013 6914 views 34 likes

GOCE: the first seismometer in orbit

08/03/2013 25911 views 88 likes

Sea level station

GOCE settles debate on sloping sea

15/02/2013 9225 views 51 likes

Improved spatial resolution

GOCE’s second mission improving gravity map

16/11/2012 7801 views 11 likes

Gravity satellite to benefit future missions

19/07/2012 4999 views 5 likes

Global Moho from GOCE

Mapping the Moho with GOCE

09/03/2012 14918 views 38 likes

Earth's gravity revealed in unprecedented detail

31/03/2011 102625 views 99 likes

GOCE results press briefing

31/03/2011 2751 views 15 likes

GOCE in orbit

Follow the GOCE results press briefing live

28/03/2011 1529 views 1 likes

GOCE delivers on its promise

04/03/2011 4856 views 5 likes

Mean dynamic topography of global ocean

ESA missions highlighted at world's largest scientific conf…

17/12/2010 2079 views 1 likes

Building a picture of the gravity field

ESA's gravity mission granted 18-month extension

25/11/2010 1876 views 3 likes

GOCE fully operational again

29/09/2010 1191 views 0 likes

GOCE in orbit

GOCE gravity mission back in action

07/09/2010 3228 views 3 likes

GOCE first global gravity model

GOCE giving new insights into Earth’s gravity

29/06/2010 18703 views 20 likes

Building a picture of the gravity field

ESA makes first GOCE dataset available

09/06/2010 3220 views 4 likes

Muzi (left) and Floberghagen at the ceremony

‘Keys’ to GOCE satellite handed over

25/11/2009 1645 views 0 likes

Gravity gradient simulations

GOCE delivering data for best gravity map ever

30/09/2009 6583 views 13 likes

GOCE in orbit

GOCE achieves drag-free perfection

26/05/2009 4354 views 2 likes

GOCE in orbit

Enabling & Support

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

16/04/2009 1200 views 1 likes

GOCE gradiometer

GOCE’s ‘heart’ starts beating

08/04/2009 1969 views 0 likes

Counteracting drag

GOCE's electric ion propulsion engine switched on

06/04/2009 7402 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 2115 views 0 likes

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

Enabling & Support

GOCE: Critical operations ongoing

18/03/2009 1548 views 0 likes

GOCE liftoff

ESA launches Earth Explorer mission GOCE

17/03/2009 3898 views 2 likes

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

Launch readiness confirmed

17/03/2009 872 views 0 likes

GOCE liftoff

GOCE launch in pictures

17/03/2009 1285 views 1 likes

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