GOCE: ESA’s first Gravity and Ocean Circulation Explorer
- Paper number
IAC-07-B1.2.10
- Author
Mr. Andrea Allasio, AAS-I, Italy
- Coauthor
Mr. Danilo Muzi, European Space Agency (ESA)/ESTEC, The Netherlands
- Year
2007
- Abstract
Scheduled for launch in late 2007, the Gravity Field and Steady State Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite is the first of the Earth Explorer Core Missions planned as part of ESA’s Living Planet Programme. The aim of the GOCE mission is to provide global and regional models of the Earth’s gravity field and of the geoid, its reference equipotential surface, with high spatial resolution and accuracy. Such an advance in the knowledge of the Earth’s gravity field will help to develop a much deeper understanding of the physics of the Earth’s interior, the interaction of the continents, the ocean circulation and the climate change. To achieve its objectives, the GOCE mission will have to satisfy very challenging requirements as uninterrupted tracking of the satellite in three spatial dimensions, measurement or compensation of the effect of the non gravitational forces, implementing differentiation of the gravity signal to enhance the strength of the high frequency component and lowest possible orbital altitude. The GOCE spacecraft, carrying a highly sophisticated three-axis gradiometer and a precise GPS receiver system, has been developed with other very unique features such as : - Flexible and robust attitude control, including a drag free control mode. - Optimised S/C dynamic configuration minimising the cross section. - High degrees of S/C autonomy - Passive dynamic stability (fins) - High thermo-elastic stability and prediction of the mis-alignments - No movable masses A high fidelity spacecraft End to End simulator has been developed to assist engineering designers and finally to predict the in flight performance, which are not measurable on ground. The assembly of the GOCE satellite is now under completion at AASI premises, in view of the final system environmental tests and the subsequent launch. The paper will, briefly recall the mission, its expectations, its challenges and the performances obtained by the satellite, including a description of the various elements, the status of the development and the envisaged operation strategy.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-07-B1.2.10.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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