* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: GOCE satellite

Blobrana · L

GOCE
1 34602U 09013A   12225.54334470  .00051600  30819-5  67271-4 0  9894
2 34602 096.5967 248.0291 0004995 350.6040 009.5150 16.07149702199545

Period: 89.61 minutes
Inclination: 96.6°
Apogee: 258 km
Perigee: 252 km

Blobrana · L

Gravity satellite yields 'Potato Earth' view

The globe has been released by the team working on Europe's Goce satellite.
It is a highly exaggerated rendering, but it neatly illustrates how the tug we feel from the mass of rock under our feet is not the same in every location.
Scientists say the data gathered by the super-sleek space probe is bringing a step change in our understanding of the force that pulls us downwards and the way it is shaping some key processes on Earth.
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Blobrana · L

Follow the GOCE results press briefing live

In just two years ESA's GOCE gravity satellite has gathered enough data to map Earth's gravity with unprecedented detail. On 31 March, a press briefing focusing on the results of the mission will be streamed live.
The press briefing will be broadcast at 11.15-12.30 CEST (09:15-10:30 GMT) from the Technische Universität München in Germany. The session will include an update on the mission, and presentation of the results and their applications.
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Blobrana · L

GOCE delivers on its promise

ESA's GOCE satellite has reached its ambitious goal of mapping Earth's gravity with unprecedented precision. In two short years, the sophisticated satellite has collected the measurements needed to record the 'geoid' reference shape of our planet.
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Blobrana · L

A flagship European Earth observation satellite has been struck by a second computer glitch and cannot send its science data down to the ground.
The Goce spacecraft is on a mission to make the most precise maps yet of how gravity varies across the globe.
In February, a processor fault forced operators to switch the satellite over to its back-up computer system.
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Blobrana · L

Period:                     89.65 minutes
Inclination:               96.64°
Apogee:                   263 km
Perigee:                   251 km

TLE Data

GOCE
1 34602U 09013A   10213.57754246  .00001728  19165-5  31549-5 0  2675
2 34602 096.6363 227.5034 0008781 097.9783 262.2480 16.06315848 80475

Blobrana · L

GOCE giving new insights into Earth's gravity

The first global gravity model based on GOCE satellite data has been presented at ESA's Living Planet Symposium. ESA launched GOCE in March 2009 to map Earth's gravity with unprecedented accuracy and resolution.
The model, based on only two months of data, from November and December 2009, shows the excellent capability of the satellite to map tiny variations in Earth's gravity.
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Blobrana · L

ESA makes first GOCE dataset available

The first products based on GOCE satellite data are now available online through ESA's Earth observation user services tools. ESA launched the satellite in March 2009 on a mission to map Earth's gravity with unprecedented accuracy and spatial resolution.
The final gravity map and model of the geoid based on GOCE data will provide users with well-defined products that will be instrumental in advancing science and applications in a broad range of disciplines.
However, there are a number of steps that have to be taken in order to turn the raw data into suitable products for users.
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Blobrana · L

GOCE satellite determines gravitational force in the Himalayas

ESA's GOCE satellite has been orbiting the Earth for more than a year and surveying its gravitational field more accurately than any instrument previously. The goal of the researchers - including scientists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) - is to determine the gravitational force in precise detail even in pathless places like the Himalayas. Evaluations of the first data from the satellite indicate that current models of the gravitational field in some regions can be fundamentally revised. On that basis, researchers expect to develop a better understanding of many geophysical processes, including for example earthquakes and ocean circulation. Another success: The satellite will probably manage to work in space for a much longer period than intended.
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