GRACE (ESSP 2)
GRACE [DLR]
The GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment) satellites will be used to make detailed measurements of Earth's gravity field by making accurate measurements of the distance between the two satellites, using GPS and a microwave ranging system. This is joint project between NASA Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) program and the german DLR.
| Nation: | USA, Germany |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Earth Science, Gravity field mapping |
| Operator: | NASA, DLR |
| Contractors: | Astrium, Space Systems Loral (SSL) |
| Equipment: | GPS receiver, microwave ranging system |
| Configuration: | Flexbus |
| Propulsion: | |
| Power: | Solar cells, batteries |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | 432 kg |
| Orbit: | SSO |
| Satellite | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRACE 1 (ESSP 2A, Tom) | 17.03.2002 | Pl LC-133/3 | Rokot-KM | with GRACE 2 | |
| GRACE 2 (ESSP 2B, Jerry) | 17.03.2002 | Pl LC-133/3 | Rokot-KM | with GRACE 1 |
Further ESSP missions:
- VCL (ESSP 1) - cancelled
- GRACE (ESSP 2)
- CALIPSO (ESSP 3)
- Cloudsat (ESSP 4)
- OCO (ESSP 5)
- Aquarius (ESSP 6)
- Hydros (ESSP 7) - cancelled
