Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer
The ESA Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) mapped variations in the Earth gravity field and produced a high-precision geoid model. Launched on 17 March 2009, the Earth Explorer mission used a spaceborne gradiometer to improve understanding of ocean circulation, sea-level change, the Earth crust and mantle, and climate before ending on 11 November 2013.
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Identity
- Aliases
- GOCEGravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation ExplorerGOCE mission
- Name
- Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer
- Status
- completed
Details
- Astronauts
- -
- Description
- The ESA Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) mapped variations in the Earth gravity field and produced a high-precision geoid model. Launched on 17 March 2009, the Earth Explorer mission used a spaceborne gradiometer to improve understanding of ocean circulation, sea-level change, the Earth crust and mantle, and climate before ending on 11 November 2013.
- Destination
- Polar, Sun-synchronous dawn-dusk orbit at approximately 260 km for high-precision gravity-field and geoid mapping supporting ocean-circulation and sea-level studies
- End Date
- 2013-11-11
- Outcome
- Successful and extended. GOCE launched on 17 March 2009 and operated for 4 years and 8 months, nearly tripling its planned lifetime. It produced the most accurate global geoid to date, revealing Earth’s gravity variations and supporting research on ocean circulation, sea level, Earth’s interior, and upper-atmosphere dynamics before reentering on 11 November 2013.
- Programs
- Start Date
- 2009-03-17
- Vehicle Families
- -
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 14, 2026 at 13:46:27 UTC
- Updated Time
- September 8, 2026 at 08:55:44 UTC
Other
- Affiliations
- Space Stations
- -
- Vehicles
- -