GOCE at Plesetsk
ESA TV Exchanges
GOCE is a unique ESA satellite that will map the Earth's gravity field with unprecedented accuracy for a better understanding of our planet.
GOCE was due to launch in September 2008 -- however, due to a technical problem with the Rockot launcher, preparatory activities for the launch of GOCE were stopped. A new attempt will take place within the next coming weeks. (GOCE launch has been delayed till 2009) Since July the Earth Explorer GOCE satellite has been at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome 2000 km north of Moscow, Russia. This story shows the preparation of the satellite and its Rockot launcher in the remote Russian Space Centre, and includes rare shots of the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.
For more info on this subject please check the script that is online as a PDF file under :http://television.esa.int/photos/EbS59458.pdf
A WMV preview clip in English is online under : http://esa.contentcoders.com/mphi/GOCE_ENG_TV_02-10-08_wmplow.wmv
The same set of files is also available on the e-vi

Video story: GOCE campaign at Plesetsk
TC 10 00 40 Graphics GOCE Satellite
For the European Space Agency, GOCE is a unique satellite in more than one way.
First in the series of Earth Explorers, GOCEís futuristic appearance sets it apart ñ it looks like the spacecraft Luke Skywalker pilots in Star Wars!
This device will fly at very low altitude in order to analyse our planetís gravity field and study ocean currents ñ hence the name GOCE, which stands for Gravity Field and Steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer.
Another special feature of the GOCE satellite is that it will be launched by Rokot, a rocket marketed by the German-Russian company Eurockot, and will take off from Plesetsk, in the far north of Russia.
TC 10 01 30 New images :
Antonov landing in Arkhangelsk. Transfer of GOCE containers
Which is why, after being made ready in Holland, GOCE was loaded on to an Antonov cargo aircraft which landed in Arkhangelsk on the shore of the White Sea.
The satellite and the containers for the equipment needed for