* Astronomy

ESA's GOCE gravity mission has achieved another major milestone as control of the satellite is transferred to the operations teams, marking the end of its commissioning and calibration phase.
The 'Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer' (GOCE) satellite, launched in March, will map Earth's gravity field with unprecedented accuracy, providing insight into ocean circulation, sea-level change, climate change, volcanism and earthquakes.

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GOCE delivering data for best gravity map ever
Following the launch and in-orbit testing of the most sophisticated gravity mission ever built, ESA's GOCE satellite is now in 'measurement mode', mapping tiny variations in Earth's gravity in unprecedented detail.
The 'Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer' (GOCE) satellite was launched on 17 March from northern Russia. The data now being received will lead to a better understanding of Earth's gravity, which is important for understanding how our planet works.

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ESA's gravity mission GOCE has achieved a first in the history of satellite technology. The sophisticated electric propulsion system has shown that it is able to keep the satellite completely free from drag as it cuts through the remnants of Earth's atmosphere - paving the way for the best gravity data ever.

"I am very pleased to see another world premier by GOCE, after having already demonstrated the most sensitive gradiometer technology ever flown in space" - Volker Liebig, ESA's director of Earth observation programs.

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Update:

Predicted time: 1st May 2009 @ 04:48 GMT ± 15 hours.
Period:          88.43
Inclination:    96.64°
Apogee:        213
Perigee:        180
Revolution Number:    718
Predicted Location:     16.8° N, 22° E